Blooming trees is a great tell to springs arrival. While insects begin to reappear traveling from bud to bud and tree to tree during the spring as well. Many never question the reason why trees begin to blossom in the spring and not in any other season. Within this article you’ll learn the reasons and factors that go into why trees bloom in the spring.
The Temperature Gets Warmer
The temperature surrounding trees plays big part into when they bloom. During the fall when daylight time decreases and the weather begins to get a bit colder the trees seal up the buds on their branches to protect them from the cold. They then use the energy they would have used to grow these buds and instead heal themselves. Now once the weather begins to warm their buds are then released since they no longer need to be protected from the cold.
Trees Reach Their Minimum Cold Requirement
Trees have what scientists call a “minimum cold requirement,” which means that although plants don’t have a human-like measurement of timekeeping, scientists have found that in order for trees to bloom at a certain time, the temperatures need to have reached a cold enough degree and remain there for a certain number of consecutive days. The appropriate number of consecutively warmer days, too, is necessary for waking up the trees after the cold.
The Sun Stays Out More
With less of the sun being seen during the Fall/Winter trees do not produce any buds or growth. Their production of chlorophyll begins to slow down as well as the process of photosynthesis. Once the sun returns to the sight of the trees the energy they used for self preservation will then be put towards allowing photosynthesis to occur and the production of leaves and flowers will appear.
Buds Receive Nutrition
Nutrition is an importance factor to any living things growth. When Fall’s cold weather begins to appear a protective barrier between the flowers and leaves form, which cuts off any nutrition from being placed into it during the winter. That then causes these flowers and leaves to shrivel and die. Though as soon as it warms up again the barrier lifts itself which allows for the growth of the plants and leaves.
Importance of Pollination
During dormant periods of cold and dark, trees conserve energy. When spring comes, many other creatures come to life too. Dormancy is crucial to pollination because the buildup of energy and resources the tree conserves allows for a burst of energy for the production of flowers to attract pollinators.
Springtime in the life cycle of a tree means that all of the focus is on producing brightly colored blossoms and fragrant aromas that will attract animals, insects, bats, and especially bees. As these pollinators travel from tree blossom to tree blossom, the pollen falls from their bodies and connects with other flowers on other trees. Pollination in the spring ensures fruit and seeds will follow in the summer and fall, allowing the tree to reproduce.
