Thursday, March 29, 2012

Shadbush and the Shad Run

The fishermen at Princeton township's Pettoranello Gardens are at loose ends these days. Ever since someone stole their fishing rods, life just hasn't been the same. This time of year, I bet they're wondering if the shad have started their spring run up the Delaware River to spawn.
That's easy enough to tell, even if your island doesn't come with an internet connection. Just take a look around to see if the shadbush is in bloom.
Shadbush, also called serviceberry, is in the Amelanchier genus. Though native, they're hard to find around here in the wild. I cut a bunch of stems off this one before moving it to a sunnier spot in my backyard, and stuck them in water like one would do with forsythia. The berries are tasty, depending on the cultivar. The one in my yard is a wild, unbred variety purchased years back at Pinelands Nursery, a wholesaler 20 miles from Princeton. Maybe it will produce better berries in full sun.
The rainbows in the photos, by the way, are generated by our home's powerful solar array, which drives duel prisms capable of generating enough rainbows to supply 100 living rooms with good luck.

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