Kansas is changing somewhat. This picture shows a tree that was very confusing to me when i saw it because it was never here in my childhood. I suspect it is a river birch which never has grown here in northeast kansas naturally. Here it is and it is not alone so you be the judge is it part of the trees in Northeast Kansas now.
The explanation may be that i have never owned bottom ground until now
" River birch is native to the eastern United States; south to Florida, north to Minnesota and west to Kansas ; it is restricted to stream banks and other moist places. The tree can grow as tall as 40 to 70 feet and 15 to 30 inches in diameter. The bark is exfoliating; gray-brown to ivory or copper colored."
I planted my clump river birch almost 10 years ago in a lower, wetter area of the yard to help uptake some of the excess surface moisture. It has thrived, but that section is now becoming the pawpaw grove (which I guess you could consider an out of place plant for NH ). It’s now starting to shadow out some of the pawpaws behind it so it may come down this spring…or at least the 2 smaller of the 3 trunks may come out. I still have difficulty cutting down things I planted. It’s like some kind of guilt knowing that I planted said tree, was responsible for it, and then decided to kill it. Maybe I need a tree psychiatrist.
As for animals….nothing really right now although a rare painted bunting was spotted near me a few weeks ago.
Ticks (and the diseases they carry) have become way more common here in upstate NY compared to when I was growing up. Large populations of canada geese overwinter instead of migrating. Invasives everywhere. Currently in the process of watching all our native ash trees die due to emerald ash borer. The invasive Ailanthus/Tree of Heaven seems well positioned to take over that vacated niche.
At this point I think its wise to start relocating plant and fungi species from the southern-most portion of their ranges to the northern-most parts, Individuals in northern most parts of their ranges should be moved north into new territory, or to higher elevation. The animals will follow.
Looks like an American Sycamore tree to me. We had several on my property growing up in NY as our county used them as municipal plantings to line the streets. never been a fan because of the peeling bark (fun to peel when I was a kid), easily shed branches, and puff ball seed pods. I have one very large specimen on my property now in MD. they appear to be native to north east Kansas
" Platanus occidentalis, or Sycamore, is native in Eastern United States from eastern one-third of Kansas to Maine and Florida . It usually grows along rivers. Sycamore is one of the largest trees in the state reaching a height of about 80 feet with immense spreading branches."
Under ideal conditions these things get huge, one of the biggest trees we have on the east coast.
The wood is not especially great, but it does look incredible when quartersawn, it has intense ray flecks, hence the occasional common name lacewood.
Botanically they’re quite distinct. Sycamore actually only refers to these trees in North America. Elsewhere they’re called plane trees. Sycamore in Europe is a maple, and in Asia it’s a fig. But anyway, the genera is the only surviving members of their family. Their closest relatives are the water lotus flowers and the extremely bizarre Proteaceae, a relict family of the lost continent of Gondwana.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think I read that the wood was used to make planes (i.e., the woodworking tool) because it was dimensionally stable under changing temperature and humidity conditions and was straightforward to machine.
The only different animal I noticed is Lincoln Sparrows, Which we never had seen here. But now an Army of them mob the feeders. Fighting with our resident birds. And smart enough to know when the feeders are empty; to go peck on the window to summon the human for more.
We have had Armadillos and the odd Coyotes for years. But now the coyotes are becoming very bad pests.
We have all sorts of Hawks, Peregrines, Kites,Kestrels, Ospreys and Eagles. My only complaint is Red Tail Hawks need a different name. Doofus Hawk is a better name for them. The dumbest of all Raptors and Buteos.
The red tails here seem pretty normal. What do they do there that gives them that negative reputation? Falcons dive bomb kills are impressive. I’m glad nothing like a falcon is after us.
). It’s now starting to shadow out some of the pawpaws behind it so it may come down this spring…or at least the 2 smaller of the 3 trunks may come out. I still have difficulty cutting down things I planted. It’s like some kind of guilt knowing that I planted said tree, was responsible for it, and then decided to kill it. Maybe I need a tree psychiatrist.
