a world of colorful baubles

summer has peeked and, believe it or not, many of us are already beginning our winter preparations: fruit is swelling, seeds are ripening, pinecones are bursting, and berries are maturing. steve and i have been freezing fruit for weeks, and we will start with tomatoes this week. for the plant world, the name of the game now is to maximize one’s chances for another growing season next year. for many (most?) plants this amounts to a “spray and pray” strategy of releasing as many seeds on the wind as possible. i love walking in the fields and woods this time of year. the countless strategies that have evolved over millions of years are in and of themselves interesting mathematical optimizations, but nerdiness aside, i also love the aesthetics of it all. a surprising number of plants have evolved to use color to attract assistants in getting their seeds spread. colorful berries attract birds and insects, and fattened fruits attract critters who eat the offering in exchange for transporting the seeds farther than gravity or wind would might allow. it all adds up to a wonderful world full of colorful baubles. one of these days i will carry a basket with me so i can show you the tremendous diversity in one short walk (you might be surprised that i don’t usually carry a gathering basket with me, but because i am always walking the dog, i generally like to have my hands free so i can manage him and his leash).

maple samaras in august