The Vine Maples
The Vine Maple in Autumn
The Vine Maples
Ballerinas,leaping to the eye
Turning summer pirouttes of rustling branches
Lifting with grace myriad hearty hands
Performing, richly gowned
In the first colors of fall
Delightful, spritely the vine maples dance with joy among the larger Big Leaf Maples and evergreens of the Northwest canopy. Small, yet graceful the small size of the vine maple belies its hardiness and overall utilitarian qualities. Its pods form a food source for the deer and small foraging mammals as well as for the birds that nestle among its dense branches. The supple branches and twigs stoop easily in the wind, sometimes forcing it to grow earthward and resemble a vine, but given proper protection, a vine maple can grow to a respectable size upright.
The yellow- green leaves of spring and summer have seven to nine lobes. When growing as a thicket, they hide lairs and nests to bring new animal life to the woods. They thrive in wet soil and will often reestablish in landslide areas. Under the dense canopy, they can manage in the shade of their much larger neighbors. The bark takes on a reddish hue. However, nothing compares to the splash that these natives make in the autumn. Their bright red leaves shout the arrival of cooler, crisp weather and shorter days. Tiny titans their presence carries warmth and cheer to the Northwest woods throughout its seasons.
"We should consider everyday lost in which we don't dance" -Neitzshe
Ballerinas,leaping to the eye
Turning summer pirouttes of rustling branches
Lifting with grace myriad hearty hands
Performing, richly gowned
In the first colors of fall
Delightful, spritely the vine maples dance with joy among the larger Big Leaf Maples and evergreens of the Northwest canopy. Small, yet graceful the small size of the vine maple belies its hardiness and overall utilitarian qualities. Its pods form a food source for the deer and small foraging mammals as well as for the birds that nestle among its dense branches. The supple branches and twigs stoop easily in the wind, sometimes forcing it to grow earthward and resemble a vine, but given proper protection, a vine maple can grow to a respectable size upright.
The yellow- green leaves of spring and summer have seven to nine lobes. When growing as a thicket, they hide lairs and nests to bring new animal life to the woods. They thrive in wet soil and will often reestablish in landslide areas. Under the dense canopy, they can manage in the shade of their much larger neighbors. The bark takes on a reddish hue. However, nothing compares to the splash that these natives make in the autumn. Their bright red leaves shout the arrival of cooler, crisp weather and shorter days. Tiny titans their presence carries warmth and cheer to the Northwest woods throughout its seasons.
"We should consider everyday lost in which we don't dance" -Neitzshe
