By Scott Shephard

Back in May, I introduced you to what I once called “the worm tree.” Today, I want you to meet “the helicopter tree.” At least that’s what I and my friends called this kind of tree when we were growing up in the late 50’s.

I know better now, of course: it is a maple tree. But I am still fascinated by the fact that when the seeds mature and fall off, they “helicopter” to the ground. So this is a seed that can fly.

I found this particular maple tree on the Wilderness Drive at Itasca State Park in northern-ish Minnesota. I don’t know the precise kind of maple tree this seed represents but Google Lens tells me it is the mountain maple.

Given that I still call this a “helicopter tree,” you can guess that botany, and more specifically dendrology, are not my strong suit.

Canon R5 1/30 sec f/6 400 ISO