As February closes in on March, some are asking the age-old question: “Is spring here?” A few moderately warm days will stimulate interest in the topic for a variety of reasons.
Methods to determine the seasonal transition vary widely. Calendar dates aside, some forecasting methods have a basis in scientific observation, and others in folklore and superstition.
Long used, there is the much-touted groundhog method. Citizens of various towns and villages up north wait for a large member of the rodent family to peer out of its den. If it sees its shadow then retreats into its hole, the cold weather continues. Spring is at hand when it does not see its shadow.
With a 50 percent chance of being right, Groundhog Day offers a great chance to party in the snow. Incorrect guesses can be chalked up to statistical error.
Carolina laurelcherry trees are beginning their bloom in panhandle Florida. Soon they will drop last year’s fruit and begin the production of a fresh batch.
In the panhandle there is a more reliable predictor based on observations, not the interpretation of an oversized burrowing rat’s behavior. The Carolina laurelcherry, a native tree, is an excellent indicator of the warm weather to come.
Sometimes this tree is known by the common name cherry laurel and is botanically known as Prunus caroliniana. As the first name indicates, it is in the same genus as the native black cherry and the various wild plums found in north Florida.
Frequently found on river and stream banks, its range extends to south Florida, west to the coastal plains of Texas and into North Carolina. These trees are also found on upland forest edges where they are better positioned to acquire sunlight.
This species is capable of reaching 40 feet of height, but the average member is usually shorter. Its trunk is straight, sometimes leaning to improve sun exposure, and about ten inches in diameter.
Occasionally used in home landscapes, its leaves are a glossy deep green. The smooth, light-colored bark offers an attractive contrast to many other trees located on home sites.
More often the Carolina laurelcherry is considered a weedy pest. Horse and livestock owners have a particular dislike for this tree in pastures or on fence lines and remove them when recognized.
The wilted leaves and twigs, while attractive to herbivores seeking a novel dietary alternative, can be fatal if consumed. The green parts contain hydrocyanic acid which increases as this tree’s foliage withers.
Currently, this tree is budding in the lengthening days. Soon tiny white bloom clusters will appear even though much of last year’s fruit is still attached to the branches.
The shiny black cherries are less than an inch in length and contain a large, stony pit covered by a leathery skin. Unlike sweet cherries grown far to the north, these are inedible.
The seeds have a high rate of germination and may result in a thicket of these trees. Under the right conditions, the seeds can remain viable for several years, germinating when conditions are ideal.
Once the bloom cycle moves into fruit production in spring, the previous year’s cherries drop away. A sure sign the season has changed.
Even the groundhog would have to admit that observing this native plant’s fruiting cycle has a better than 50/50 chance for predicting the change. Still, there is always a chance for a late frost.
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