Red maples (Acer rubrum) are in full bloom around the Piedmont, and worth getting out to take a close look. I used to think the red "bloom" was just the infancy of leaves forming, but now realize they are full-fledged flowers.
Friends of Plant Conservation; Native Herb Conservation Committee-Herb Society of America, Inc.;
Plant Conservation Alliance;
author/Editor - The Herb Society of America's Essential Guide to Growing and Cooking with Herbs; monthly column in Greensboro News & Record