Mountains dress for Mother's Day

I drove through the Appalachians the week before Mother's Day and I thought, "they are all dressed up for Mother's Day!" The variegated verde provided an eye easing backdrop for the ornamentation of the showy white locust blooms, and the occasional Palownia tree. I've learned to play a game with myself, trying to spot the Palownia blooms since a forester, Don Graves,  introduced me to the exotic tree. Palownia's light purple color stands out with almost inverted cones of color.
I understand the plant originated in China and is appreciated for its fast growing production of wood that has a high strength to weight ratio. It is an honored tree in the far East and its wood is valued for making musical instruments. Don told me that a timber buyer would visit a particular tree several times before purchasing it. The buyer would know how the trunk would be sectioned into usable wood before it was harvested.  It has been a tree of choice for mine reclamation purposes. With all the positive things, some say the tree is ugly after it finishes blooming. Leaves can be huge and some consider it an invasive specie.

The fringe of the forest are adorned as well with azaleas, rhododendron and redbuds. Redbud trees have mostly transitioned from its brilliant pinkish-purple to heart shaped leaves-appropriate for the season, no!

May we all honor our mothers or mother's memories with such a display of affection!