Chestnuts

Growing degree days are a way horticulturists attempt to wash-out year-to-year and location-to-location variation.  For example, a viticulturist might say that Verona grape is properly ripened at 2700 GDDs and you can look at data from your site and estimate the date it will ripen.

I spotted these chestnut trees while scouting out my walking route.  900 GDD (base 50) is a fine time to find chestnut trees because they are in flower.

Same picture with zoom.  They are very distinctive once you know what you are looking for.

Each individual "feather" is up to 8" long.

Honeybees find these flowers attractive due to their abundant pollen.

Respectable sized trees.  You can see the owner's tree stand just below the knot on the closest trunk.

Deer prefer chestnuts to acorns and apples.

What do you do if you don't have easy access to GDD charts?

The common, orange daylilies start blooming at about the same time as the chestnuts.  Time to start scanning tree-lines when you see the first daylilies blooming in the ditches.  These daylilies bloom much longer than the chestnuts so you have to trigger on the first blooms...you have about a ten day window for chestnuts.

Elderberry bush in blossom.  Image from HERE

Elderberry bushes are another plant that blooms at the same time as, or slightly before chestnut trees.