Thursday 3 September 2009

Spindle Tree.

Our native Spindle is quite an ordinary deciduous shrub or tree......
until autumn when it colours a brilliant yellow and scarlet.

Then something even more beautiful happens......the pinkish red seed capsules reveal large, orange seeds. Wood of these species was used to make spindles.
I am in love with my little tree.............I think I may grow more..........


25 comments:

Liz said...

Amazing Cheryl, I don't think I've actually ever seen one myself. Its colours look beautiful and are no doubt a very welcome sight :)

Brenda Kay Ledford said...

Cheryl:
I just found your blog and I love the beautiful, colorful photos. The spindle tree or bush is really pretty with the bright colors. I've never seen this tree. Please visit my blog and leave a comment at: http://blueridgepoet.blogspot.com.

Roses and Lilacs said...

I have something very similar growing in my hedgrow. You may have identified it for me. I will take a closer look but I don't think the seed pods are there yet and it hasn't changed color.

I was hoping the empty pods could be used in fall arrangements but they disappear quickly. They are certainly pretty pink while they last.
Marnie

Marimoy said...

I think I am in love with that tree as well.

Cheryl said...

Hi Liz....the spindle tree grows in the hedgerows locally....that is when I first discovered it.....
when the berries burst and expose the seed they look incredible......

Cheryl said...

Hi Brenda.....tku for your comment....I will try and pop by at some point.....

Cheryl said...

Hi Marnie....I believe there is a spindle tree that grows in your part of the world.....the berries may be more purple...I am not 100% sure of that though.....

It is a beautiful tree/shrub at this time of year.....

Cheryl said...

Hi Mimi....I am definately in love with that tree.....

NCmountainwoman said...

It IS a wonderful tree, almost like a fairy tale. I can understand why you love it.

o2bhiking said...

That is so pretty Cheryl. Thanks again for sharing your beautiful garden. Art

Lisa at Greenbow said...

How interesting about your Spindle Tree. It must have hard wood. The blooms and fruits are beautiful too. No wonder you love it. I do too.

naturewitch said...

Hi Cheryl
How beautiful are those seed pods! We might never put cherry red and orange together in our wardrobe, but nature knows that it's a great combination. Are the seeds OK for birds to eat or are they poisonous? Such a pretty plant; I wonder whether we can get it here.xx

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

Wow, those seeds are stunning. Thanks for sharing the photos; I'd never heard of this tree/shrub.

Rose said...

I've never heard of this tree before, Cheryl. But I can see why you love it with its bright colors and the interesting seeds. Autumn is certainly on its way.

Anonymous said...

Oh I know this one too! It grows in most our forests and is one of my husband's favorite bushes )

Gail said...

Hi Cheryl...The spindle tree is lovely...We have a plant, that we call Strawberry Bush or Hearts A Bustin that is a second cousin of yours! It's an Euonymous americana~~It's a very wonderful native, but, yours his prettier! gail

marmee said...

such a beautiful little burstin' berry. i love the colours of this spindle tree...i would definitely be tempted to grow more.

A wildlife gardener said...

What a beautiful tree the spindle is...I have none, so I'm admiring yours with its litle secrets :)

Like you, dear Cheryl, I grew up with a sense of wonder about everything in the Natural World, and it has sustained me through thick and thin...I also love 'your' oak tree and imagined myself being with you and Nella on your fruit-quenching walk :)

What an amazing photo of your froglet with its back legs...wonderful...as is the one with the wasps stripping the cosmos stems :)

I am so sorry you have lost plants due to the severe summer drought you've had....heartbreaking, as these plants have been part of your life for years and many will feel as if they are 'friends'.

This global warming is scary...we have had 6 weeks of monsoon rains and apart from snatching little video clips and photos I've not been able to do any work at all in the garden.

I love your humming bird hawk moth..I've only ever seen it here once during a hot summer...loved all your photos of it, as they brought back the excitement I felt at the time :)

Another happy time reading your thoughts and feeling in tune with them...dipping into the rich world you treasure :)

ShySongbird said...

Such a lovely pink Cheryl, I always feel a thrill when I see it in the hedgerows....Have a wonderful weekend :)

Cheryl said...

Hi Naturewitch....as far as I know the birds do eat the seeds....I have seen Robins in that area.....

Cheryl said...

Dear Wilelife Gardener...always a pleasure to welcome you here. It has been a strange year ....the weather has brought lots of changes to my garden.
I walked Nella this evening and spoke to the local farmer en route......he does not have enough hay to feed his animals this year...this is rare. He will have to buy in...he is not a rich man. The land is so dry.....and autumn has already begun....leaves are dropping and have little colour...they are just dry and brown.

Global warming is very apparent....we must all learn to garden for the conditions we have now......there are challenges ahead, I will face them....wildlife needs our help......

Wendy said...

What a beautiful tree! Such lovely colours. I am watching my lily-of-the-valley fruit turn red. Such an amazing transition from white little bell-like flowers in May, to green berries all summer and now into red berries. Isn't nature wonderful? I will do some research on your fascinating Spindle tree.
Have a wonderful weekend!

Meems said...

A lovely combination of colors: pink and orange bursting forth. Is it autumn already? Oh, not here. Still VERY much summer.

I like your spindle tree, too.
Meems

Jane Adams said...

I found your blog by chance. Great to see what you are doing in Kent. I too love my garden (but I'm not a very good gardener... even though my sister and Mum are practically full time gardeners!) however, like you I do love the wildlife... Keep up the blogging! Jane at http://urbanextension.wordpress.com

SweetAnnee said...

Oh I love that.. sort of looks like our Bittersweet.

Rich is a huge Formula 1 fan..
He watches EVERY race on our Speed Channel.

He thinks it is AWESOME he'll be at
Monza

I am almost all packed..EEEEK
it's coming so soon..Love it