Traveling through Arkansas is an experience of a lifetime. There are so many historical attractions to see and places to visit. I have been to many, but what I enjoy the most is seeing the beauty Arkansas shares with its travelers in the springtime.
Daffodils, Jonquils, Crocuses and other early springtime flowers rush to catch the spring sun that shines warm on the ground after a cold winter of ice and snow. They receive most of the glory for bringing in the spring and chasing out the winter.
Few trees burst into blossoms that early in the year. The Dogwood is an exception. Before you know it, the bushy tree that hardly ever gets more than 20 or 25 feet tall has burst into bloom long before its leaves appear. Its white blossoms shimmer through the bare limbs of the other trees of the forests. But has it fooled you? Walk up to this little tree and look closely at its blooms. They're not white at all but a pale greenish yellow color. The leaves are the four white, petal-like bracts. These little modified leaves protect the tiny flower that sits in the center of the cluster.
When you find a Dogwood, stop and look around. It usually has a friend standing nearby. This friend of the Dogwood also blooms before it shows its green foliage. Straight from the bark on its twigs and large branches, pop out purplish or rosy red clusters of tiny blooms. Its individual flowers resemble a pea blossom and true to the character, a pea pod will later appear in its place. What is this friend of the Dogwood? Why it's the Redbud Tree, of course!
The Dogwood and Redbud are early risers to the spring sunshine but there is one that is even earlier. The Sarvis or Serviceberry shows off its fragile white petals in clusters that droop throughout its branches. It can grow as large as the Redbud but most often it is smaller. The Sarvis Tree will produce a fruit from its blooms in early summer. The little forest animals love to eat this gift from nature.
The Tulip Tree grows naturally in most parts of Arkansas and is a cousin to the Magnolia. It is one of the largest species in the state and is sometimes called the Poplar Tree. It can reach a height of 100 feet or more. It's during April and May that the greenish-yellow, tulip-shaped blossoms, appear.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Bertha Sutliff's Arkansas topic, please visit the Discussions page.