Theme Day: A Simple Acorn #AtoZchallenge

Acorns on the Ground, © B. Radisavljevic

The City Daily Photo Bloggers Theme for April 1 this year is The Beauty of Simplicity. I believe a simple acorn fits this theme beautifully. It also is appropriate for a new challenge I have accepted, The A-Z Challenge, that runs through April. My theme will be things I see or experience  here in North San Luis Obispo County, California. I'm so far #1491 on the sign-up list.

In the photo  to the left, we see detached acorns,  on the ground, fallen from the tree. Most have lost their caps. Below is a photo of a single  acorn, still living on its tree. This photo was taken in October, 2011. I took it while out for a photo  walk one day. 

Acorns almost never grow alone. In the photo below you see some that are growing together. Even if you look closely at the photo above you will notice the acorn is not alone. There is another one hiding behind it.

Acorns on Oak Tree, © B. Radisavljevic

Often acorns grow in close together, like these below.

Acorns on Oak Tree, © B. Radisavljevic

Did you notice that all the acorns still on their oak trees still  have their caps intact? Most will lose these after they fall to the ground.

Acorns may look simple, but they have a lot of power packed inside. The acorns in the photo below fell from the oak tree that lives across the street from me in Paso Robles.

Acorns under an Oak Tree, © B. Radisavljevic

We've all heard that mighty oaks from little acorns grow. Below is the oak tree these fell from. We can assume this majestic oak grew from a small acorn just like these. In fact, I have little oak trees sprouting in my  yard from these acorns that I sometimes don't see until they are a few feet tall because they sprout under other trees and shrubs.

 Oak Tree in Paso Robles Neighborhood, © B. Radisavljevic

If you look on the hills in the background, you will see many more oaks. Paso Robles has so many oak trees it was named after them. Paso Robles means Pass of the Oaks. One of the most famous landmarks in Paso Robles is what we've nicknamed the Acorn Building because its clock tower is shaped like an acorn. You can see it pictured below on these Zazzle products. Click here to see more Zazzle products it appears on.

 Clock Tower Downtown Paso Robles iPad Mini Cover Clock Tower Downtown Paso Robles Puzzle Clock Tower Downtown Paso Robles Postage Stamp Clock Tower Downtown Paso Robles Postcard

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See what other bloggers from cities all over the world have chosen as their photos on the Beauty of Simplicity theme.

Related articles

• Looking at Deciduous Oak Trees in Winter
• Oak Trees
• A pocket of acorns

Looking at Deciduous Oak Trees in Winter

Bare Oak at Berry Hill Farm in Winter
 © B. Radisavljevic

Oak trees are magnificent during all seasons. Some, like the live oaks, are evergreen. Many oaks on the California Central Coast, though, are deciduous. They lose their leaves in winter. That's when I think they are most interesting. With the leaves gone, the oaks reveal their skeletons, their branches that are covered with leaves half the year. It's also easier to see lichens and galls once the leaves don't cover them. That's why in this post we will be looking at deciduous oak trees in winter. 

The oak  to the right was photographed at Berry Hill Farm on Linne Road in Paso Robles, in January.  Most of the leaves have dropped off. You can see the silhouette of the tree's skeleton. You can click most photos on this page to enlarge them.

Here are more photos that reveal the "bare bones' of the oak trees.

Bare Oak in Paso Robles in Winter, © B. Radisavljevic

Cattle Grazing near  Oaks in Paso Robles in Winter, © B. Radisavljevic

Wide Bare Oak in Paso Robles in Winter, © B. Radisavljevic

Some of the most interesting oak trees are those that have been damaged in some way. Sometimes they've had their shapes changed by man when  they get too close power lines along the  sides of roads. In other instances they've been damaged by fire or lightning. Insects and fungus can also attack oaks. If you see a ring of mushrooms around an oak, it's an indication the tree may be infected in the roots and bark, as well. Oak root fungus can eventually kill an oak tree if the tree has also  been weakened in some other way.

I am not sure what has damaged the tree below.  The mistletoe has probably weakened it, especially since the drought has stressed the trees and made them more susceptible to mistletoe's stealing of nutrients.  Mistletoe can  eventually cause the limb to break at the point where it is attached. 

This photo shows an overview of the damaged oak tree. You can see the mistletoe at the top.  © B. Radisavljevic

This photo shows the damaged part closer up. You can see the holes that indicate the tree is probably hollow and animals or birds may live within it. © B. Radisavljevic

With a tree's leaves gone, it's easier to see unusual growths on the oaks. Two of the most common are lichens and oak galls. The round galls are made by gall wasps laying eggs. The lichens add color to the bark. Neither growth harms the trees, but they do add interest. The galls almost look like the balls one would hang on a Christmas tree, except they aren't shiny.

Bird on Branch of Oak in Winter. Notice the round galls, © B. Radisavljevic

  Notice the round galls on this oak. © B. Radisavljevic

Did you notice the yellowish lichen on the small branches on the left and the lone acorn on the right? © B. Radisavljevic

It ought to be obvious now that I love oak trees, especially in winter. That's why I made a few designs at Zazzle using some of my photos. Most of the oaks I used in Zazzle products were photographed when they still had leaves, but these were taken when the leaves were gone.

Templeton Oak Towers over Main St Postcard

Puzzle: Bare Oak in Winter under Stormy Sky Jigsaw Puzzles Browse for Puzzles at Zazzle

Does Anyone Live in this Tree?

Oak Tree in January, © B. Radisavljevic

I saw this oak tree about a year ago on Linne Road, and it seemed to be a perfect place for an animal home. Since I'm a curious sort, I decided to take a closer look.  You can click any photo for a closer look.





I noticed the hole in the trunk right away, which is why I wanted to examine the tree more closely. It's not very far off the ground, but it's quite hollow. Let's get a little nearer.

Hollow in Oak Tree in January, © B. Radisavljevic

A closer look inside reveals lots of room for even a large nest, and it's obvious there's an abundant supply of acorns for any animal in residence. The question is which animal may live here, if any. Maybe no one is in residence anymore, but perhaps some animal may have called it home. Many small mammals would enjoy having so much food close at hand. In autumn there is not only an acorn crop, but there is also a vineyard right on the other side of the fence. What squirrel, raccoon, opossum, or skunk wouldn't be happy with such a convenient food supply?

Inside the Hollow of Oak Tree in January, © B. Radisavljevic

Whether or not anyone lives or has lived here, I'm quite sure there are squirrels in the vicinity because I've seen them. I've never been here at night, so I've never had the opportunity to see the nocturnal animals. Perhaps squirrels have sought shelter here from time to time to enjoy a few acorns in peace. We are looking deep inside the tree here with a flash, so I believe a squirrel would be invisible to a hawk flying overhead were it to hide here.

Now that I've satisfied my  curiosity as to what's inside the tree, I will look above it.  I think the treetops against the sky are a prettier sight on this January day.

 Oak Treetop in January, © B. Radisavljevic

Who do you think lives or lived in this tree?

If you'd like to learn more about squirrels and other small animals who might have lived here, read one of these books. I loved the Burgess Animal Stories, and the first one I ever read was The Adventures of Chatterer the Red Squirrel. My five-year-old self was enthralled by it, and my son loved it just as much. Burgess writes fiction that gives animals human emotions and motivations while staying true to their habits and natural characteristics. Read more about my introduction to the Thornton Burgess books here.  Bonus: If you click through you'll  also  see a photo of me as a toddler.

You Know It's Autumn When You Start Stepping on Acorns Everywhere

Although North San Luis Obispo County is best known for its wine grapes, the oak trees got here first. Now they are dropping acorns everywhere. The photo shows my neighbor's oak tree across the street in autumn.

A very long time ago,  that tree started like so many others - as an acorn that fell into the ground  and got

buried in dirt and watered by rain. After it sprouted and grew a few leaves it probably looked somewhat like this.

The trees grow very fast. It won't be long before this little tree is a foot or two off the ground. in a couple of years it might be over one's head. If they aren't growing where you want them, it's easy  to pull them   when   they are tiny, like the one in the photo or about three inches high. If they get much bigger they are harder to remove. If you wait too long, if they get too large, it might be against the law to remove them at all.

This is what the ground looks like under my neighbor's tree. The acorns and leaves fall fast at this time of year. Fortunately, my neighbor is very conscientious about removing the debris from his tree. It's easy to slip and fall on an acorn because it can roll.

Are there acorns on the ground where you  live? Have you seen any baby oaks where they don't belong?

Learn more about California oak trees.

 Oaks of California

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