TAMARACK TREES ARE SHEDDING POLLEN

A LIGHT, WELCOME RAIN HAS FALLEN

TAMARACK CONES: THE MALE CONES SHEDDING CLOUDS OF POLLEN...

...WHILE THE NEEDLE CLUSTERS ARE STILL TIGHTLY FOLDED

Sunday, 9:30 AM.  The temperature is 40 degrees F,  the wind variable, calm to light.  The sky is overcast and it is still drizzling lightly, after raining about a quarter of an inch last night; not enough to make much of a difference, but welcome none-the-less.  The humidity is 93%.  The barometer stands at 29.78" but is still falling. The sun has just emerged from the murk, and it may clear up by noon.
   The native tamaracks (Larix laricina) are shedding pollen in copious amounts from innumerable tiny male cones, each smaller than a pencil eraser.  The pollen will be received by diminutive female cones.  Both male and female cones occur on the same tree.  The pollination process is complicated, but in a short while the pollinated female cones will begin to develop, which will look exactly like little red roses, and will eventually carry ripened seeds (which are, like all conifer seeds, "naked," having no fruit tissue covering them).  Meanwhile, the needle clusters are still tightly folded, the tree still appearing dormant.
   Nami and Steven have planted (peas?) under plastic shelters, getting their relatively high tech garden on the corner of Tenth and Wilson off to an early start.  Last year it was still under several feet of snow on this date.