The juniper, cedar, ash, birch, and maple were enough. And now- oak.
The mighty oaks...
click if you love oak trees
Missouri actually used to be a pine forest and was replaced with several species of oak after the pine was logged out- Missouri Forest Facts. From Missouri's Oaks- "Missouri is home to 19 species and at least 16 hybrids of oaks. Most of our forest products industry, including flooring, barrel staves, pallets and railroad ties, is based on the oaks. Oaks are also the most important hardwoods in North America. Only three other species or groups of trees—all conifers—exceed them nationally in lumber production. Here in Missouri our oak saw timber volume of 8.3 billion board feet represents 63 percent of all our saw timber."
I live on the edge of a state forest and near a national forest. I see bee and spider species that aren't even in books yet. To joke that I live in Mirkwood is putting it lightly.
Any color ribbon would be coated yellow with pollen this time of year...
