Thursday, January 5, 2017

January 5, 2017


Location: North County Park, Sebastian

Laurel oak in parking lot. I moved to Fellsmere about 12 years ago. I have driven by this park almost every day since I moved here. It is a large park that has a sports complex with soccer and baseball fields, and a large community pool.

After I had lived here about 6 or 7 years, a friend suggested we meet at the North County Park parking lot to go for a walk. I asked her, "Do you mean where the indoor pool is?" She looked at me like I was insane and said, "No, I mean the community pool." To which I replied, "Right, the indoor pool across from the ball fields?" She said, "Dee, that is NOT an indoor pool..." And I actually had to drive up there to see for myself that it was, in fact, an outdoor pool. I have no idea why I thought it was an indoor pool, and this was after driving by it daily for six or seven years.

But I digress... Laurel oaks (Quercus laurifolia Michx.) are fast growing trees but have a relatively short life span1. They produce many acorns which are good for feeding critters, but the wood is not good for building so they are generally only useful to humans as shade or ornamental trees.

Sources: (1) USDA Forest Service

Photo and text © 2017 Dee Fairbanks Simpson

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