A Walk in the Arboretum

After my zoom class meeting this morning (only ONE more week to go!!!) I met my friend Phil for a walk at the arboretum. My husband and I go there every Sunday for a walk, but he's not a plant nerd...and Phil is (and me too of course).

Phil and I have known each other since I moved to Portland - back in the days when I was the dean at a now-defunct (not my fault) art college here in Portland. Phil taught there for years - photography and general studies. He lived not far from me at the time, so we started carpooling and now 15 years later we remain excellent friends. He volunteers for the Audubon Backyard Habitat Certification program so knows a LOT about our native plants. He talks to my plant ID class every year, this year included (via Zoom of course!) and I learn a lot from him. 

We used to walk every week when we lived near each other, but now I live out in the westernmost part of Portland and he lives in the southeast. Now that we can be outside and walk together, we've agreed to meet every other Thursday for a nature walk at the arboretum. 

We spent much of our walk honing our tree identification skills - and we were better than the book we were looking at. This tree of course, stood out, since it's in full bloom and is of course not a native at all. It's a Mimosa Tree, or Persian Silk Tree. Scientific name Albizia julibrissin - a member of the Fabaceae family (legume) and native to Southeastern Asia. It's quite a menace here actually, creating many, many seedlings in our lush, temperate climate. But isn't it spectacular in all of its pink plumage?

OK, only ONE MORE WEEK to go of remote teaching! I've learned a lot but will celebrate and take a vacation :-) (And catch up on all of your lovely journals!)