Monday, May 9, 2016

Horsechestnut Trees in Seward, NE

This blooming Horsechestnut tree caught my eye over the weekend on S. 14th St. in Seward. It prompted me to do some research since they are not native to this area and quite rare. I have even written about some in neighboring Garland, NE, that are over 100 years old and know of only a couple others here in Seward. It is really only at this "bloom stage" that they stand out. They are very similar to Hickory's and Buckeye's. I made mention of my "find" at coffee this morning and learned that one of the fellows had made a project of collecting nuts from all the big old trees that he could locate here in town. He had planted them in pots (with a hole in the bottom) and was successful in getting them to grow at his acreage. He pointed out that the largest tree he is aware of here in Seward, is only a couple blocks from where we live. 
This is a "close up" of the tree which shows the flower and drooping leaves. We drove over to Garland, and those older trees appeared to be a bit further along with the blooms being larger and lighter in color. I plan to watch the local blooms to see how they develop.
 

No comments:

Post a Comment