Sycamore seed ball
As you learned last time, on December 28th I wandered along a stretch of a once-again-happily-flowing creek in my northwestern part of Austin. After photographing algae and bubbles (and inadvertently myself), I walked upstream and found a sycamore tree that had produced some of its characteristic seed balls. These start out hard and firm but eventually, in a way that’s reminiscent of cattails with seeds attached to fluff, they loosen to the point that a touch—be it of a hand or of the wind—causes them to unravel. That’s what you see happening here, illuminated by a shaft of warm light filtering through the surrounding woods and contrasting with a trace of blue sky that managed to make it through in the background.
If you’d like to be reminded of how majestic sycamore trees can be when their white bark shines in the sun, just have a look back at the post from December 23. To learn more about sycamores, you can visit the website of The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. To find out the many places in the eastern United States where sycamores grow, you’re welcome to consult the state-clickable map at the USDA website.
© 2012 Steven Schwartzman
Portraits of Wildflowers 
Once again you’ve captured the essence of “unraveling”!
Bonnie Michelle
January 3, 2012 at 6:23 AM
I remembered Jane Tims’s recent comment about using the word unravel in this context, which reinforced my own liking for the word here. I’m glad you like it too, Bonnie.
Steve Schwartzman
January 3, 2012 at 8:15 AM
The contrast between the “hard”, almost pinecone-like exterior of the ball and the feathery seeds is striking. The seeds look almost alive, like some strange insect that’s ready to fly on its own, rather than just drift with the wind.
shoreacres
January 3, 2012 at 8:08 AM
I agree, the contrast is striking; the early stage in no way predicts the later one. Like you, I’ve seen the triangular seed formations as insects (though as dead ones when they end up in the water of a creek).
Steve Schwartzman
January 3, 2012 at 8:20 AM
Super shot Steve and the background works perfectly. Well done!!!
dhphotosite
January 3, 2012 at 10:24 AM
Thanks, David, especially for appreciating the background. There have been times when I’ve been tempted to say that the three most important things in photography are background, background, background.
Steve Schwartzman
January 3, 2012 at 10:52 AM
Our neighbors had a beautiful sycamore when I was young, and I’ve admired the form, the trunk, and those great Sputnik orbs ever since. And I am exceedingly (no pun intended) fond of seed heads, pods, cases, and the like. So this is a very welcome sight indeed. Lovely.
kathryningrid
January 3, 2012 at 12:21 PM
A descriptive phrase, Kathryn: “Sputnik orbs.” Have no fear of being thought seedy when you admit that you’re exSeedingly fond of seed heads, pods, cases, and the like. Today’s picture and the recent one of the cattail confirm that I am too, though I haven’t shown as many pictures of that sort as I might have. I’ll try to include more of them this year.
Steve Schwartzman
January 3, 2012 at 12:52 PM
Beautiful picture!!
noykee
January 3, 2012 at 1:23 PM
Bedankt, Jonneke.
Steve Schwartzman
January 3, 2012 at 1:30 PM
I think what’s so impressive about this picture, other than the glorious colours, is the sense of movement, the unravelling of the seed ball to release the seeds to float away.
Neil
January 3, 2012 at 5:05 PM
Why, thank you, Neil. I’m pleased that you sensed the inherent movement here.
Steve Schwartzman
January 3, 2012 at 5:22 PM
Oh this is so beautiful! 🙂 Thank you for stopping by at my little blog 😉
Kristina
January 3, 2012 at 5:33 PM
And thanks for visiting from London. Stop by whenever you’d like a few minutes in a warmer clime.
Steve Schwartzman
January 3, 2012 at 5:52 PM
Great shot! It’s remarkable how trees like this have evolved such a terrific system for spreading their seeds
Nick the Editor
January 4, 2012 at 5:44 AM
Yes, it is, and I find it fascinating that plants that are quite different can resort to similar methods.
Steve Schwartzman
January 4, 2012 at 6:21 AM
I love the detail.
TBM
January 4, 2012 at 6:48 AM
I’d be lost without my macro lens (and once in a while I get lost even when I have it with me).
Steve Schwartzman
January 4, 2012 at 7:06 AM
wow it looks amazing 🙂 like something you would find in a Final Fantasy game. You Should submit this to National Geographic or something man, this is really amazing.
vishalhd
January 6, 2012 at 2:58 PM
Nature is my fantasy.
Steve Schwartzman
January 6, 2012 at 3:26 PM
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