Cercis canadensis, 5, Redbud, Howard County, Md,

Redbud leaves, Cercis canadensis, fresh spring leaves at their births, at the end of the cycle, no leaf is untouched by another organisim, be it insect, arthropod, virus, fungus, or bacteria and eventually drops. A particularly lovely member of the pea family. Pictures and photos by Helen Lowe Metzman from Howard County, Maryland.