Thursday, 1st. Lots of Hawthorn in full blossom around the park. Not surprising , as this is also known as May blossom but much of it has been out for the last week or so of April.
The Hawthorn blossom looks nice but the same can’t be said for its aroma.
The Horse chestnuts have been flowering for a while too but they are looking particularly good, at the moment, with fresh leaves and flowers in full bloom.
There are several Bay laurel bushes around the park, this one is on the path alongside Avenue Road, near the vehicle entrance. They have been flowering for a while.
The Scarlet Firethorn bushes are full of tiny buds which will flower in June.
The Wild Service tree is now in full bloom and so are several Whitebeams. The Black Walnut is out in leaf and has fresh catkins growing. The Female Ash trees are producing new keys (samaras). Apple trees are in blossom. The Judas tree is full of purple flowers.
Saturday, 3rd. The Scots pine are full of pollen cones (strobili). The Manna Ash, next to the basketball court, is flowering. Various Lilac trees are in flower. French Broom in flower.
Sunday, 4th. Laburnum flower buds are forming. More hawthorn trees in bloom. Honey Locust is starting to leaf. Manna Ash, on the triangle, is starting to flower. Where there once were catkins there are now samaras on the Hornbeams.
Monday, 5th. Indian Horse chestnut trees are showing flower buds. Lots of fruit developing on the Cherry plums. Lots of flowers on the Holly trees near the Park House.
Tuesday, 6th. Berries, on the Canadian serviceberry, are swelling and turning redder. The Doublefile Viburnum is in full bloom. There are lots of cherries developing on the tree in the fruit garden. The Lime trees are developing flower buds.
Wednesday, 7th. The Red Osier dogwood, near the Vicarage Road entrance, is flowering. Next to it, there are some Twinberry honeysuckles flowering. The female Goat Willow is dropping a lot of finished catkins, but some still have fluffy seeds attached. The Black Mulberry is starting to put on leaves. The Whitebeam, in the corner of the Colour garden, is flowering.
Thursday, 8th. The Himalayan tree, near the pond, is producing flower buds.
Friday, 9th. The Bird Cherries, next to the old tennis courts are producing berries but these rarely develop through to maturity. The first of the Medlar flowers is beginning to open. Unfortunately, the medlar, next to the Thrive garden, has died.
Saturday, 10th. Lots of male strobili (pollen cones) on the Mugo pine. The Manna Ash, on the triangle, is in full bloom. The Honey Locust is coming out in leaf. The Plumleaf Hawthorn is developing flower buds.
Sunday, 11th. Mexican Orange bushes are flowering. The walnut trees have catkins. We found another Laburnum tree near the bowling green.
Tuesday, 13th. The light coming through the scots pines really showed up the orange colour of their bark, high up in the trees.
Wednesday, 14th. The Honey Locust has put on more leaves and looks really good against a clear blue sky. The Monterey pine has numerous pollen cones. The White Mulberry is developing fruit but they still look rather green. There is a Woolly Cotoneaster, near the pond, in flower. (Cotoneaster tomentosus)
Thursday, 15th.The Cutleaf Elder, near the Vicarage Road entrance, is in flower. The Black Mulberry is starting to flower.
Friday, 16th. There are lots of Beech masts in various trees around the park. The Dog Roses are flowering. There are lots of samaras on the Cappadocian maple. New dangly wingnuts alongside the remains of the old on the Caucasian wingnut tree.
There were a lot of silky webs in the Bird Cherries next to the old tennis courts. These are from the Bird Cherry Ermine moth. The young caterpillars overwinter underneath the tree’s bud scales and become active when the buds burst in spring. They are capable of stripping a tree bare.
Saturday, 17th. The Plumleaf Hawthorn is flowering now.
The judas tree looked good, juxtaposed against the Honey Locust.
Kings Heath Park Trees 