Watching maple tree blossoms ripen into spinning seeds

Photographer Hitomi Dames, who wrote columns for the Shoreline Area News on photography in 2015 (Sound Shooters) sent in this series on a four day evolution of maple tree flowers.

Photos and notes by Hitomi Dames

The first three were shot on April 20 when I went for a walk.

#1 April 20

#2 April 20

#3 April 20

The maple trees on NE 155th St were all yellow with blossoms on April 20. But soon they turned to yellow green because their leaves opened. 

#4 Samaras forming - April 24

#5 Samaras are well formed - April 24

And if you look carefully the flowers were becoming samaras. The 4th and 5th photos were shot on April 24.

Mature samaras are the winged fruit of the tree which spin through the air by the hundreds.

#6 A different tree at Hamlin Park
April 25

Those flowers on NE 155th St didn’t became samaras completely, but I found this last one at Hamlin Park yesterday April 25.