28 Comments
User's avatar
Tōan's avatar

"Cake crumbs off our lap (angel food, for those who asked)" —

this is the kind of sentence that resets a Friday morning. From

the twelfth floor in Tokyo my Friday opens with the kettle, not

with crumbs, but the principle is the same: name the small thing

that is actually on the lap.

Tamara's avatar

Shad blow is what I've always known it as, though I don't know why. I've only seen it along roads, a single, smallish tree with white blossoms that's one of the precursors of spring.

Colleen Ware's avatar

Whatever its name, it is beautiful. In WV we called it sarvisberry, and it was a favorite of the black bears, as my best friend and I discovered one day as we came upon a bear in one. I am not sure which of us was more surprised, as we all took off in different directions. Hopefully he returned to his meal after he ascertained we were gone.

Alicia Barr's avatar

I do love spring at your Place❣️It’s especially FERVENT and spectacular due to the contrast between spring and winter! Also, happy belated birthday❣️ Yours is not the only one I missed! 👎 But I did get a text sent to my #2 grandson, thank goodness! May is much busier than I remember - every year !!! it’s busier! I don’t know; time goes faster, I go slower. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Clara Parkes's avatar

Thank you, Alicia!

Kathleen Allan's avatar

So lovely!! And tall!! Mine reached 5', bloomed, and a beaver decided it wood make a sweet aftermath snack. I was heartbroken! The wheel of life will have its way.

Love all the names it has. Learned a few more today.

Daniel's avatar

If angel food cake was a tree, I think it might be this!

Clara Parkes's avatar

I would fill my yard with angel food cake trees if I could...

Jan Hubbard's avatar

I read through all those tree names, and finally recognized Wild Plum. I knew where many of those were. My first foray into canning was to make Wild Plum jam. Writing this made my mouth water for something I haven’t tasted for a very long time.

Sharon's avatar

Angel food is most fitting for you, Clara. It is Saskatoon for me.

Jackie Sideman's avatar

Beautiful.

Elizabeth Ann's avatar

Let’s just call it beautiful!

Ginger Booone's avatar

Love the Thoreau quote!! And the reminder of Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book. Sooo many books on my list!

Jennifer Manoukian's avatar

I’m with Thoreau on this one, so it’s a Chuckley Pear to me!

Melissa Weaver Dunning's avatar

There is a whole book about the serviceberry tree! By Robin Wall Kimmerer of Braiding Sweetgrass game. I love seeing it in local landscaping because the birds love the fruit.

Kathleen Allan's avatar

I have read that book. Wonderful, as is all of Kimmerer's books.

Ellen's avatar

Thanks for this. I never knew about service berries and the "rabbit hole" has much to say including this delicious looking recipe trove.

https://notfarfromthetree.org/5-things-to-do-with-servicberries/

Clara Parkes's avatar

Fascinating! Thank you for that link. I never thought to do any of those things, usually because the birds eat most of the berries before I even see them.

Anne Richards's avatar

In our central NH woods the small shadblow in bloom look just like snow flurries. I just love them.

Miriam Guidero's avatar

When we downsized to a condo last summer, we acquired a small serviceberry tree as a very close neighbor. I had never seen one before. I loved the white blossoms this spring! I am now watching the green berries turn orangy red. I know from last summer they will continue to turn dark. Our condo association has planted many of these trees in our community. I’m in Indiana, so we are “ahead” of you Maine folks!

Clara Parkes's avatar

Excellent!