Scarlet Oak – The Motley Moose

A Tree for all Seasons and its Phenology from Solstice to Solstice.

June 28, 2018 RonK 8

I have a favorite tree. It is a Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea). The scarlet designation comes from its bright fall red foliage that will be apparent when we get to October. Fierce

Summer Sunning!

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June 20, 2025 3

Later today, we mark the Summer Solstice. Astronomically, it looks like this: The Summer Solstice occurs exactly when the Earth’s axial tilt is most inclined towards the sun at its maximum of 23° 26′. The [...]

April Showers are Bringing May Flowers!

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May 1, 2025 3

At Winter Solstice, the light begins to return – gradually, the memory of the long nights fades until the light and dark are equal on Spring Equinox. From that point on, the light returns more [...]

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Springing into Spring – No Kidding!

March 19, 2025 5

Tomorrow, March 20th, at 2:01am Mountain Standard Time (my time!), the Spring Equinox will occur. An equinox occurs twice a year (around 20 March and 22 September), when the tilt of the Earth’s axis is [...]

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Spring is in the air!

February 1, 2025 3

At the beginning of February, when much of the north appears frozen and lifeless, there are stirrings below the surface and in the sky. The light is returning; today there is nearly an hour more [...]

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Welcome, Returning Light!

December 21, 2024 3

The winter solstice “occurs exactly when the Earth’s axial tilt is farthest away from the sun at its maximum of 23° 26′. Though the winter solstice lasts only a moment in time, the term is [...]