April 25, 2008
Flowering Trees
Norway Maple, Acer platanoides; River Birch, Betula nigra;
Shadbush, Amelanchier sp.; and American Beech, Fagus grandifolia
These photos show the flowers of four trees found at Fresh Pond Reservation. Many people do not realize that all of the broad-leaved trees are flowering plants, members of the plant group called Angiosperms. Wind-pollinated trees such as maples, beeches and birches usually have green, inconspicuous flowers, because they do not need to attract insect or bird pollinators. In this collection only the Amelanchier is insect-pollinated. Norway Maple flowers, although green, have the classic flower shape, with a ring of petals. These River birch flowers are pollen-producing male catkins. The female flower are much smaller and less conspicuous. Beech flowers look like lumpy green balls.