Did you hear? Global warming's a hoax! The first cherry blossoms at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden have bloomed! Thanks to their handy CherryWatch map, we can see that the first bloom has arrived. You're welcome, people who were looking for wholesome first date ideas.
Due to this "winter" we've been having, cherry blossoms have been blooming around town since December. In case you're wondering what affect this has on the BBG, Chris Roddick, who has been tending to the trees for over 20 years, explains:
The most immediate danger in all this for BBG’s collection is a hard frost or ice storm that could still arrive and destroy these early buds, which would make for a less-than-spectacular spring display. In the long term, most trees would be able to bounce back fairly easily from a single off-kilter year, but too many years in a row would certainly have a greater affect on a wide variety of trees, here and around the globe.
Early budding and blooming also affect birds and other wildlife. Many birds and insects rely on the nectar and pollen provided by plants at particular times of the year. And if flowers are damaged as a result of too-early emergence, there will be less fruit for wildlife later in the season. Also, many birds have their young just as certain insects are feeding on the new leaves of trees. If trees leaf out too early, those insects may be gone by the time the chicks hatch.
Yeah, well…we get to wear shorts in March!
