In cocoons, a hidden promise; butterflies will soon be free!
In the cold and snow of winter there’s a spring that waits to be, unrevealed until its season, something God a-lone can see.
Many folk feel that the winter woods are either dead or sleeping; however, if paying close attention when walking in the winter woods, one would certainly notice that the trees are preparing for spring.
Unlike the seeds of the oaks and beeches that carry large reserves of food, the birch seeds carry very little food and must land in an open spot with sunlight if they are to survive.
There’s a song in every silence, seeking word and melody
There’s a dawn in every darkness, bringing hope to you and me
From the past will come the future; what it holds, a mystery, unrevealed until its season, something God a-lone can see!
Each species of trees can either produce millions of tiny seeds or relatively fewer but larger seeds that carry an ample supply of food. Although the small seeds of a birch tree are plentiful, they are not packed with an abundance of food, and their chances of surviving are slim. A young yellow birch tree is often seen growing out of an old decaying stump. The wind has taken the tiny seed to a place where it will receive enough sunlight for the seed to begin germinating. After the stump has rotted away, the small yellow birch will appear as if it has grown stilts
In comparison, the oaks’ acorns are too large to be carried by the wind and must depend on animals, such as squirrels and blue jays, for dispersal of their seeds. Although having a lot of food packed into its seeds will help the seeds survive, this also invites predators, such as deer, bear, turkeys, etc., to eat the seeds. Acorns will also be parasitized by insects. Therefore, to allow for some seeds to survive, the tree must produce an abundance of seeds. The acorns that are not found have enough food inside to keep the seeds alive throughout the winter months. In the spring when conditions are just right, the seeds will awaken and begin to transfer the energy to the rapidly growing roots and stems. No matter which way the acorns are laying, the roots will grow down in the ground and the stems will grow upward.
Red oaks differ from white oaks in acorn production and composition. Unlike the white oak’s acorn that matures and falls during the same year, the red oak’s acorn is a biennial, remaining on the tree throughout the winter to mature and then falling the following year. The red oak’s acorn has a much higher tannin content (six to ten percent) than the white oak’s acorn (two percent). It takes about 500 germinating acorns to yield a single one-year-old red oak seedling. The tree from this seedling will not produce acorns until it is about 30 years old.
The wide variance in acorn consumption is due to the mast of oak trees, which produce large acorn crops every four to ten years, with smaller amounts in intervening years. The red oak’s acorns are of particular importance to the pre-hibernation diet of the black bear. These acorns have a fat content of 18 to 25 percent, with one pound of acorns having approximately 1300 calories. In one source, I read that wild turkeys have been known to consume over 200 acorns in a single feeding. Squirrels eat both white oak and red oak acorns, preferring the former in the autumn and burying the latter for consumption during the winter months. It is believed that this is due to the fact that white oak acorns sprout earlier, and of course, they taste better.
In May, the million seeds of the aspen trees will float gently through the air on white parachutes and then cover the ground with a white downy film. The seeds attached to these white parachutes are almost invisible. These seeds have no food reserve and must have sunlight immediately after sprouting to stay alive. The seed must land in an un-shaded area, which can be miles away from the parent tree; however, the chance of an aspen seed growing into a tree is astronomically small. Most young aspen trees seen are shoots that have sprung up from the underground roots of a parent tree. These shoots grow fast, nearly five feet per year, and in a short time, the shoots will be sending out millions of seeds on their own. Young aspen trees will first flower at two to three years; however, production, of large seed crops, begins at about ten years.
In our end is our beginning in our time, infinity;
In our doubt there is believing in our life eternity.
In our death, a resurrection; at the last, a victory
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.
HYMN OF PROMISE - Natalie Sleeth - 1986
The creator has made many types of trees with different systems, making nature amazing.