I sometimes walk from Forestry Hall to Keim Hall on the UNL East Campus and pass through a grove of trees including several large redbuds. There used to be a foot path through it but they’ve stopped mulching and weeding the area under these trees and there is now a carpet of redbud seedlings coming up that I have to wade through if I continue to use this shortcut. This groundcover of redbuds is thick enough to outcompete other weedy woodies like mulberry, elm and buckthorn. It’s a bit wild and woolly and I love it. I’ve always been impressed at how common redbud seedlings can be in the landscape when parent trees are nearby. They have a hard little seed that is eaten by many birds that I assume help spread it around. I do notice that unsuspecting students give me an interesting look when I emerge out of the trees now. I suppose I better start using the sidewalks like they intended.
