Silent Sentinels: Discovering the Beauty of Dormant Deciduous Trees
Written by: Tamara Few, Mississippi Park Connection, Operations and Support Specialist
The winter months may not seem to be the best time to walk outside and pay attention to the sentinel deciduous trees who quietly stand in their dormancy, resting until the upcoming growing season. Yet, it is an ideal time to stop and take notice and notes from our tree friends in the coldest and darkest months of the year. What can we learn and observe from the trees in winter, and what are their names?
At first glance, dormant deciduous trees, devoid of their vibrant leaves, may appear to be dull and uninteresting with nothing to view. But, there are numerous ways to observe these trees to appreciate their beauty and figure out who they are without their characteristic leaves. Looking at their overall silhouette, where the tree is living, its bark, and buds (to name a few identification features) are consistent ways to identify trees no matter the season.
As we walk through the winter prairie at Mni Owe Sni/Coldwater Spring, we come across this tree. What do we notice first? Maybe you pause and take stock of the tree in its entirety. It is very tall, with a thick trunk and thick branches, and it is growing near a pond so it has access to plenty of water. Stepping closer to the tree, the bark looks like it has deep trenches or furrows between ridges of raised bark. If you look down at the ground, you may find twigs on the ground under the tree. The buds are large, yellow-green in color, and very pointy, and when the bud is squeezed, a sticky resin is left on your fingertips.
These characteristics point to this tree being an eastern cottonwood (populus deltoides) who loves being near wet places. And look, there is a surprise inside the cottonwood twig - a little star waiting to be seen. Perhaps the towering cottonwood can teach us that there are beautiful surprises inside of everyone; we just need to take the time to be curious and discover them.
(Photo Credit: Tamara Few, close up of eastern cottonwood bark)
(Photo Credit: Marielle Mateo; an eastern cottonwood tree growing in a prairie)
The next tree we come upon is actually a shrub - a multi-stemmed woody plant that is 20 feet or less in height. It looks bushy and is growing on the edge of a pond, so like our eastern cottonwood friend, this shrub must also like being close to water. It has some stems that are grey and some that are very red and vibrant, bringing a smile to your face. The vibrant red bark on Red osier dogwood (cornus sericea) is a reminder to seek out the people, places, and activities that bring you joy and energy during the depths of winter.
(Photo Credit: Marielle Mateo; red osier dogwood growing next to a pond covered in snow)
At the end of our walk, we stop and notice an irregular, medium sized tree. Instead of having a single main stem or trunk, it has multiple trunks sprouting from one point. This tree’s form may be described as poor or irregular because of this type of form. The bark on this tree looks grey with tan fissures running through the bark. The buds are opposite of each other on the twig and are a powdery silver-purple color. You also notice that there are a multitude of seeds hanging off the branches. These seeds are called samaras (a fruit that is winged which you may see twirling to the ground from maple trees) and they feed wildlife species year-round. Box elder (Acer negundo) trees are generous with their fruit and spread care to many, a reminder to take care of the people and world around us.
(Photo Credit: Marielle Mateo; a multi-stemmed boxelder tree growing in the prairie)
(Photo Credit: Marielle Mateo; a boxelder twig with samaras hanging off of it and buds at the end)
The long winter months can be hard on us, yet our tree friends quietly remind us that it is a time to lean into rest and recovery before the warmer months pull us in a million different directions. The next time you step outside this winter, whether it be in a prairie, floodplain forest, or right outside your door, look up and spend some time with our tree friends.
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