Spring Leaves Emerging in Prospect Park

Emerging leaves of some kind catching spring sun.

Before I started growing vegetables and fell in love with learning about plants I managed to get way more laps in on the bicycle in Prospect Park. Now I have to stop and get off the bike every few minutes or so to check out what I'm seeing (at least in the spring when so much is happening). Getting slower on the bike is a small price to pay for learning more about the world around me and the plants I see, I guess.

















New leaves and emerging flowerbud of an (Updated: Prunus padus, I think now. The European birdcherry.) and another one to figure out on another day below. Maybe the smooth shadbush or serviceberry, Amelanchier laevis, which I just read has reddish leaves when young or a crabapple? Maybe I'll remember to check it out on another ride in the park and can identify it by flower or fruit or adult leaves. It looks like the young leaves and flowers are emerging together now.