What is it Wednesday: February 17, 2021

 

Can you identify what's in this photo?

 

 

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

 

 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

 

 

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

 after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on

February 17, 2021. 

 

 

 

And the answer is....

 

 

This is the flower bud of a kousa dogwood, encased in ice after yesterday’s freezing rain.

We have featured kousa dogwood flower buds before in What is it Wednesday, because they are such a visible example of how trees and shrubs have buds even when they are dormant in winter. Buds develop on trees and shrubs in the fall, are present all winter, and will open into flowers or leaves in the spring.

The leaves or flowers packed tight inside the bud are able to survive the cold of winter – including being directly coated with ice – because of the bud scales. These are small but tough “wrappers” that cover the bud before it blossoms and seal out damaging weather. In some species they are even covered with small hairs that provide additional insulation. If you look closely at a bud you can see its overlapping bud scales.

The buds of trees and shrubs in cold and temperate climates actually require a certain amount of cold temperatures, or “chilling requirements,” in order to fully develop. Buds are only damaged by cold if the buds start to open, losing their protective scales, and then are exposed to a hard freeze.  

Take a look around and observe the buds on trees and shrubs during the winter - what are their different shapes, sizes, colors, textures? There is a fascinating world of future flowers and leaves out there just waiting to emerge in the spring! 

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!