By Mary Walker, a long-time Concord resident, librarian at the New England Wild Flower Society in Framingham for over 20 years (now semi-retired), and co-curator of the Concord Field Station Herbarium at the Museum of Comparative Zoology field station in Bedford, MA.

In the wetlands the red maples have a reddish hue; and weeping willows (Salix "babylonica") have all leafed out along the parking lot behind the banks.

Now the Bradford Callery pear has come into bloom; in front of Emerson Hospital and in the parking lot at the West Concord Medical building . The Callery pear was introduced from Korea and China in 1908. There are many fine cultivars, including the Bradford.

Handsome pink Japanese flowering cherries (Prunus serulata and cultivars) have graced yards and streets with their beauty but no sooner do I write this in early May than they are leafing out and dropping their petals. After 4 days of mid-summer temperatures in late April-early May everything has come into bloom at once throwing the normal progression off.

Hawthorns (drawing at right) with their often thorny branches are in many yards with profuse red or white flowers. Be happy with knowing the generic name only, Crataegus. Although only seven are commonly cultivated and are native to the eastern United States they are notoriously difficult to identify as there are many hybrids. The English Hawthorn, commonly cultivated, has smaller leaves than the others and they are deeply lobed. Hawthorn fruits persist into the fall because birds do not seem to like them. The English Hawthorn fruit has only one nutlet whereas the other hawthorn fruits have 2 to 5 nutlets. Besides in lawn plantings, hawthorns may be found in old pastures, in thickets and in woodland borders. See Concord Area Trees and Shrubs by Ray Angelo for illustrations of seven common hawthorns. See also Norman Taylor, The Guide to Garden Trees and Shrubs (mine is the 1965 edition).

The horse-chestnut, Aesculus Hippocastaneum, with its handsome large candles of white flowers will soon be out. Lilacs, too, will be out in our dooryards, as well as dogwood. Lilacs persist in the wild but do not spread, and many an old homestead can be found in our woods with the lilac bushes still there.

Art: Hawthorn, maple and pear. Word of Mouth Design and ArtToday.