a return

By winterwren

our state flower 2

the state flower of maine:

white pine cone and tassel

following yesterday's blip on the white pine cone, today i set out to blip the white pine tassel. having no idea what a tassel looks like, i assumed the curly tan filaments at the end of each branch were what i sought. many trees, many branches, many photos later, i decide to double check the internet to confirm. it confirmed i had not a clue. pine trees have male and female cones. we all recognize the female cones. the male cones (or tassels) are smaller, light yellow colored cones, found at the tips of the branches in april and early may, only to fall off shortly after pollination. i realize i have lots of shots of something that is most definitely not a tassel.

i chuckle. how arrogant of me to think i can find something in nature whenever i want it. i do adore the humor mother nature throws my way from time to time.

i also chuckle that in 1895 when the state of maine decided on their flower, it was the white pine cone and tassel. i guess in that era, it was about being "botanically correct".

so here, on a grey and drizzly day, i blip a photo of a white pine branch, with something curled, perhaps to open, definitely not a tassel on the tip.

note: Pinus strobus is referred to as the weymouth pine in the UK, named after the explorer george weymouth who spent time in maine in 1605. if you happen to be in the UK next april and come across a weymouth pine, please give my best to its tassels.

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