tulip poplar windfall and phenology '26

Spring seems to be arriving a bit early this year—at least in my Atlanta backyard. My records show the first tulip poplar flower windfall appeared on day 84, about 13 days earlier than expected. It’s a small but telling sign that the season is shifting ahead of schedule.

To put this in perspective, I compared my observations with broader indicators like the National Phenology Network’s Spring Bloom Index. This model, based on flowering plants like lilacs and honeysuckles and seasonal temperature patterns, shows that the 2026 spring in Georgia’s Piedmont region is running a few days early compared to the 30-year average.

In other words, what I’m seeing locally matches the bigger picture—spring is getting a head start.

Other Atlanta nectar sources at this time (not shown):

• Chinese Wysteria (invasive)
  
• White Clover
• Spiderwort
• Amur Honeysuckle (invasive)
• Dandelion 

 

1st Tulip Poplar Windfall	Day of Year
10-Apr-2011	100
27-Mar-2012	87
19-Apr-2013	109
12-Apr-2015	102
15-Apr-2017	105
5-Apr-2018	95
11-Apr-2019	101
7-Apr-2021	97
6-Apr-2022	96
24-Mar-2023	83
6-Apr-2024	97
3-Apr-2025	93
25-Mar-2026	84
median	97

tulip poplar windfall, other spring flowers and phenology '25

 

Based on my Atlanta backyard observations and record keeping, I found this year's first Tulip Popular flower windfall a few days early (day 93) - see my table below.  I compared my first tulip poplar windfall observations with other spring surrogates.  The National Phenology Network leaf out model is another way to determine if spring is early, on time, or late.

Spring Leaf Index Anomaly Map uses the first leaf out of cloned lilac and honeysuckle cultivars as these woody plants are among the first to leaf out or bloom and are common across much of the country.  The model also uses temperature and weather events beginning January 1 of each year.  The current spring is compared with a 1991-2020 average. The map shows that the 2025 Georgia Piedmont region's first leaf out day of the year is a few days early compared to the 30-year average.

Other Atlanta nectar sources at this time (not shown):

• Chinese Wysteria (invasive)
  
• White Clover
• Spiderwort
• Amur Honeysuckle (invasive)
• Dandelion

1st Tulip Poplar Windfall	Day of Year
10-Apr-2011	100
27-Mar-2012	87
19-Apr-2013	109
12-Apr-2015	102
15-Apr-2017	105
5-Apr-2018	95
11-Apr-2019	101
7-Apr-2021	97
6-Apr-2022	96
24-Mar-2023	83
6-Apr-2024	97
3-Apr-2025	93
median	97

tulip poplar windfall, other spring flowers and phenology '24

Click on the image and notice that ants have discovered the tulip poplar flower. These ants are not thought of as pollinators just clever at finding sweets.

Based on my Atlanta backyard observations and record keeping, I found this year's first Tulip Popular flower windfall right on time (day 97) - see my table below.  I'm curious how my first tulip poplar windfall observations correlate with other spring surrogates?  The National Phenology Network leaf out model is another way to determine if spring is early, on time, or late.

Spring Leaf Index Anomaly Map uses the first leaf out of cloned lilac and honeysuckle cultivars as these woody plants are among the first to leaf out or bloom and are common across much of the country.  The model also uses temperature and weather events beginning January 1 of each year.  The current spring is compared with a 1991-2020 average. The map shows that the 2024 Georgia Piedmont region's first leaf out day of the year is similar to the 30-year average - spring is on time in the Georgia Piedmont region and surrounding regions show that spring is a few days early.

Other Atlanta nectar sources at this time (not shown):

• Chinese Wysteria (invasive)
  
• White Clover
• Spiderwort
• Amur Honeysuckle (invasive)
• Dandelion
  

1st Windfall	day of year
April 10, 2011	100
March 27, 2012	87
April 19, 2013	109
April 12, 2015	102
April 15, 2017	105
April 5, 2018	95
April 11, 2019	101
April 7, 2021	97
April 6, 2022	96
March 24, 2023	83
April 6, 2024	97
median	97

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tulip poplar windfall and other spring flowers '23

NOAA headlines

• February 2023 was Earth’s 4th warmest on record
• Europe saw its second-warmest winter as global sea ice set a new record low

I found this year's first Tulip Popular flower windfall 16 days earlier than expected.  This early arrival was most likely driven by weather/climate.  My observation biases that might undermine the hypothesis:

• I'm better at spotting windfall flowers
• more time spent outdoors and less time commuting to work
  

Other nectar sources at this time (not shown):

• Chinese Wysteria (invasive)
  
• White Clover
• Spiderwort
• Amur Honeysuckle (invasive)
• Dandelion

1st Windfall	day of year
April 10, 2011	100
March 27, 2012	87
April 19, 2013	109
April 12, 2015	102
April 15, 2017	105
April 5, 2018	95
April 11, 2019	101
April 7, 2021	97
April 6, 2022	96
March 24, 2023	83
median	99

dandelion, rosemary and native crabapple 2022

In my opinion, this spring attracted more bees to dandelion flowers than previous years. Thank you to my neighbors who do not spray herbicides.

Strong spring wind gusts made photographing bee foraging difficult and I consequently have not included bees visiting blooming ornamental cherry trees and eastern redbud.   What's left on my iPhone are a few lucky snaps of bees on native crabapple (thanks to Trees Atlanta) and rosemary flowers.

native crabapple and rosemary 2021

Thank you Trees Atlanta for planting pollinator friendly trees like:

• eastern redbud
• native crabapple

I was not going to include rosemary flowers, but iPhone 11 color saturation is fabulous.  This Mediterranean native shrub does well in Atlanta's zone 7 hardiness when located in a sunny location. 

Currently I can't find bees on dandelions and spiderwort flowers - is there an overabundance of honey bee forage?

Sixth warmest winter on record for contiguous U.S.

In "Assessing the U.S. Climate in February 2020", NOAA writes,

• December through February was much warmer than normal across the contiguous United States, while precipitation remained above-average. 
• Georgia ranked second wettest, while Alabama and North Carolina ranked third wettest.
• Alabama and Georgia had their wettest winter on record, while South Carolina saw its second wettest.

NOAA's summary match my Atlanta weather experience and is consistent with the early arrival of flowering trees and plants.  I don't commonly see bees on dandelion flowers (many neighbors use lawn herbicides).   Wikipedia lists the  pollen color of  dandelion as "red yellow, orange" and typically flowering in  Apr-May.

Today, I removed the bee cozy hive wrap and checker-boarded the honey cap of my hives. From the top box, I swapped half of my drawn frames with no-comb foundationless frames.   The removed drawn frames are added to a new top box where half of the frames are no-comb foundationless.  I first learned about this beekeeping practice in 2015 where Steve Page spoke at Georgia Beekeepers Association.