There is April, in the swelling bud. There is Spring. There are the deep wonders of this season, not in the flower, but in the flower’s beginnings….the bud itself is the major miracle.

~Hal Borland, Sundial of the Seasons

One of my favorite plants to watch this time of year is the Painted Buckeye, Aesculus sylvatica. It is a common shrub in our woods, and one of the few things the deer don’t seem to bother. It is also our first shrub to leaf out in Spring. We walked the property this weekend, looking for signs of Spring and possible nest cavity trees. Along the way, I stopped to admire and document the various stages of buckeye buds. There is so much life and hope contained in a single bud. I think Spring is finally here…

Painted buckeye bud, swollen, but unopened (click photos to enlarge)

A bud that has split open

The twisted emerging leaves surround a developing flower stalk

Bud scales peeling back and textured leaves emerging

Leaves beginning to unfurl

A flower cluster with a swirl of leaves around it

The palmate leaves eventually spread out and continue to enlarge