The Cedar Elms (Ulmus crassifolia) are pushing out leaf buds right now, in yet another sign of spring.

Of course, as I write this, the temperature is supposed to drop to 27 tonight, so winter has not completely loosened its grip. Spring is on its way nonetheless!

These photos were taken this morning in our backyard. I was walking to our garage and passed a nice cedar elm which overhangs the driveway. The bright green dots on the gray gray bark caught my attention. Cedar elms are one of the most common trees on our property and they look stunning right now.

The leaf buds are small and cone-shaped. They are about 1/4 inch long. These have yet to open.

Cedar Elm Leaf Buds

Here are some, on the same tree, which are further along. They have started to open and you can see the tiny leaves emerging. They’re still pretty tightly furled though.

I love the idea of life returning to the landscape after the winter slumber. Just think of the number of times this has happened on the planet. The cycle continues.

Cedar Elm Leaf Buds

Finally, here’s a shot of a lone ball moss (Tillandsia recurvata) on the cedar elm. Ball moss is not really a moss, it is a flowering plant. It is an epiphyte, though, and not a parasite. It does not take nutrition from the host tree, only physical support.

I gave it the black & white treatment to emphasize it’s alien quality. It looks like it might be from another world.

Ball Moss