Spring is Here!

by
Patricia Bradley

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SPRING is here!!
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And I, for one, am so happy! Last week I saw my first redbud tree! And that got me to thinking. 

If you look closely, you'll see that the tree buds aren't red, but purple...so how did the tree get the name Redbud?

I didn't know, so I Googled it. One answer: Because the person who named it was colorblind.

Another answer was...a Purple Bud Tree just wouldn't sound as nice.

The Appalachian Redbud is closer to red, though. The tree's true name is Canadensis...I much prefer Redbud! 

Another thing that crossed my mind was this flower. In the South, we call it a Buttercup. Everywhere else it's called a jonquil or a daffodil. What do you call it?
https://pixabay.com

https://pixabay.com
One last flower I wondered about is the dandelion. Did you ever wonder how it got its name? I did and looked it up. Evidently the English called it "lion's tooth back before the fourteenth century because the jagged green leaves reminded them of a lion's snarly grin.

 Then it took on a French flavor--dent-de-lion (tooth of the lion) that became Englishized to dandelion. Bet you didn't know that!

What flowers have you ever wondered about? Tell me and I'll research them...anything to keep from actually working. 

Tweetable
Why isn't the Redbud Tree red? (click to Tweet)

Comments

  1. I didn't know that was a buttercup. We call them daffodils (and mine are finally coming out), but my mom called them jonquils. We did learn the dandelion thing in school. Redbuds aren't out here, but I'm ready and waiting.

    Flowers are one of the best parts of spring!

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    1. So agree Liz! It's been in the 70s here, but this morning it was 41. :-/

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  2. We call them daffodils, too. Buttercups are an entirely different flower for me. I agree with Liz. I love seeing the flowers sprout and bloom in spring!

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    1. Kate, I was so shocked to realize Buttercups are an entirely different flower than what I thought. lol. But we still call daffodils buttercups down here. :-)

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  3. Spring is definitely here in Phoenix, too. Everything is in bloom. Sorry I can’t help with your procrastination. If something interests me, I look it up on google and satisfy my own curiosity. I always called the yellow flower shown a daffodil. In Oregon they grow wild in the fields. A buttercup for me is a small 5 petal flower with shiny petals. You put it under your chin and if it reflects yellow there, it means you like butter. I really like the dandelion, and I could never understand why people didn’t want it in their lawns.

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  4. Aw, Marion, I so don't want to get to work today! I wonder how daffodils got to be called buttercups in the South?

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  6. Spring is trying to arrive here in the Northwest. Daffodils are blooming and the yard needs to be mowed. Yesterday we had a pretty good hail storm in between rain showers and sun breaks. My favorite spring flower are German snow bells. It's kind of obvious where they got their name as they look like bells and they often bloom when snow is still on the ground. They give me hope because I know when they start popping up the sun can't be far behind.

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  7. Carol, I don't think I've ever seen German snow bells! Of course, it could be because we don't have much snow...

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  8. As Kate mentioned, the buttercup is completely different flower than the daffodils...it's tiny in comparison. Whatever they're called, they're all beautiful.
    "Tell me and I'll research them...anything to keep from actually working." LOL!

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    1. Except Marion didn't take me up on the offer, Jill! I wonder if the actual buttercup doesn't grow here in the South.

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    2. I used to see them in Virginia, but I haven't seen buttercups since I've been living in Charlotte.

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  9. Lots of color being added to the landscape here in PacNW: daffodils and tulips, camellias, flowering cherry trees, and a tree with flowers that resemble tulips, which I don't know the name of.

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    1. Here that tree is called a Tulip tree...not sure what it'd be called in PacNW!

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  10. I agree with Marion about daffodils and buttercups. In Oregon buttercups grew wild. And we blew off the dandelion fluff until I got a home of my own and discovered it dispersed seed to start other dandelions. With age comes intelligence. LOL

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    1. But it's still fun to blow those seeds every where!

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  11. Daffodils - my favorite flowers. I'm secretly with you on dandelions, too, except that eventually they take over the whole yard. It's an early breakup right now in Anchorage, and the only things blooming are the pussy willows and the trash that got buried under the snow and is now starting to appear. Eventually we'll get it all cleaned up and greened up and the town will be beautiful. Come May, we'll have daffodils and tulips, too.

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    1. May!!! Groan...Guess I'll have to enjoy them her for you...of course I could take a trip in May and enjoy Spring all over. I did that last year, going to Minnesota and everything was blooming.

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  12. Patricia - this is so much fun. I didn't know that about dent de lions! I think the tulip tree is a magnolia (anybody know for sure?) My forsythia blooms even before the daffodils come up. Love the cherry blossoms. To help you delay work - I presume the forsythia is named for somebody Forsythe. Can you check?

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  13. Yes, Muriel, I think it's a Japanese Magnolia. Oh! Yay! Legit research. Hold on while I check...IT IS! It's named after William Forsythe. here's the link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Forsyth_(horticulturist)

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  14. I know I'm ridiculously late commenting on this post, but I enjoyed it so much I figured better late than never. A few days ago while driving with my husband I pointed out a beautiful Redbud tree and exclaimed that I didn't know why it was called a Redbud when it was actually purple. (You see, we were both thinking the same thing. I was going to make it a point to research it too, but you beat me to it.) The Redbuds are amazing here in NC this year!! Since they're one of my favorite trees, I notice them right away. I've seen colors other than purple. I believe I've spotted some that are a deep pink. They are so incredibly beautiful. Thank you for exciting me with this post. Trees excite me. ( :

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