So on Friday I wrote a little post and mentioned that I wanted to research some trees that I talk about a lot ( in real life not blog life.) and admit- know NOTHING about. Well except that Aspen is what we have out at my family's country house, pine trees are what I call ALL tree's that have needle on them instead of leaves and Poplars are the ones that blow fluff in the spring.Really, a very juvenile knowledge about them- but I love them just the same.
So I Googled it Friday afternoon and then sent my simple findings to my friend Calvin ( who is my hiking buddy- you may know him from previous pictures posted in my blog.), you see- we have a conversation during our last hike about what the different types of trees are. We fell on the realization that we were both aware of them and had simple understanding of them but never really got around to find out what the true difference were between them.
Poplar Tree
"Populus is a genus of between 25–35 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar, aspen, and cottonwood. "
In Calgary we know Cottonwood Trees as the ones that produce fluff in the spring- it's the female trees (those females- always causing issues.) and make everyone all sneezy and watery eyed with allergies. I always use to call them Poplars but really that is just the tree nationality, it's like saying I'm from Canada (with is true) but really- I'm a Calgarian (a city with in the province of Alberta that helps to make up the country of Canada.).
Aspens are these fabulous trees that I am most use to seeing out west, closer to the mountains. They tend to have long trunks and a canopy of leaves at the tops. Usually their bark is whitish/ grayish with black marks and leaves that whisper in the wind.
In Calgary we know Cottonwood Trees as the ones that produce fluff in the spring- it's the female trees (those females- always causing issues.) and make everyone all sneezy and watery eyed with allergies. I always use to call them Poplars but really that is just the tree nationality, it's like saying I'm from Canada (with is true) but really- I'm a Calgarian (a city with in the province of Alberta that helps to make up the country of Canada.).
Aspens are these fabulous trees that I am most use to seeing out west, closer to the mountains. They tend to have long trunks and a canopy of leaves at the tops. Usually their bark is whitish/ grayish with black marks and leaves that whisper in the wind.Pine Trees aka Evergreen Trees
"The family Pinaceae (pine family), is in the order Pinales and includes many of the well-known conifers of commercial importance such as cedars, firs, hemlocks, larches, pines and spruces... They are trees (rarely shrubs) growing from 2 to 100 m tall, mostly evergreen with subopposite or whorled branches, and spirally arranged, linear (needle-like) leaves. The female cones are large and usually woody, 2-60 cm long, with numerous spirally-arranged scales, and two winged seeds on each scale. The male cones are small, 0.5-6 cm long, and fall soon after pollination; pollen dispersal is by wind. Seed dispersal is mostly by wind, but some species have large seeds with reduced wings, and are dispersed by birds"
My simple understanding of Evergreen Trees is all trees with needles as leaves are pine trees. I've never paid much attention to any of the sub species though I love them all equally, enjoying their fragrance and making Christmas Crafts with the pine cones. We don't have Cedar tree's in Alberta because our climate is dry and so I see most of them when I travel out west to BC. We typically get Spruce, Firs and Pine.
Here is a link from the Canadian Forest Service that explains the difference between the three.
"The family Pinaceae (pine family), is in the order Pinales and includes many of the well-known conifers of commercial importance such as cedars, firs, hemlocks, larches, pines and spruces... They are trees (rarely shrubs) growing from 2 to 100 m tall, mostly evergreen with subopposite or whorled branches, and spirally arranged, linear (needle-like) leaves. The female cones are large and usually woody, 2-60 cm long, with numerous spirally-arranged scales, and two winged seeds on each scale. The male cones are small, 0.5-6 cm long, and fall soon after pollination; pollen dispersal is by wind. Seed dispersal is mostly by wind, but some species have large seeds with reduced wings, and are dispersed by birds"
My simple understanding of Evergreen Trees is all trees with needles as leaves are pine trees. I've never paid much attention to any of the sub species though I love them all equally, enjoying their fragrance and making Christmas Crafts with the pine cones. We don't have Cedar tree's in Alberta because our climate is dry and so I see most of them when I travel out west to BC. We typically get Spruce, Firs and Pine.Here is a link from the Canadian Forest Service that explains the difference between the three.
So that's my story about tree's. I started this post yesterday but got distracted... like I usually do when I try and research trees. I love looking at them, playing under them and enjoying them in my world however the horticultural part of it- I get a little lost. I think it's all the Latin names that mix me up.
*ps: If you don't already own a copy of the book The Giving Tree- buy it*
*ps: If you don't already own a copy of the book The Giving Tree- buy it*
It reminded me of another girl I use to work with, we not only had the same clothing but often accidentally wore it on the same day. I use to get a kick out of- not that I have ever been the type of girl to go all matchy-matchy with a friend but I enjoy coincidences like that. Thing like when Laura and I say the same random thing at the exact same time, I'm gleefully 13 again and yelling jinx! Which reminds me... I think she owes me a soda... 
Went to a place called 
The whole forest was filled with little scenes depicting different fairy tales and nursery rhymes. It was allot of fun for a big kid like me.
yaaargh! 
tea for two
me and a creepy bunny.
Arrived in the Sunshine Coast which is just north of Vancouver. Saw this Starfish imprint on the doc.
arrived in Tofino which is a small town in the pacific rim. This is a cute little place to eat called 
statues in the gardens
Went on a small hike through an old growth rain forest- look at the size of that tree!!! can you see me in there?
The boardwalk through the old growth forest
Mussels
dried up drift wood along the beach.
another old growth forest
Me and the big tree
saying goodbye to the mountains- for now.