What is a dogwood winter?

Dictionary.com defines dogwood winter as a noun (a “South-Midland and Southern United States Americanism” to be exact), meaning a short period of cold weather in spring. Its known origin dates back to 1910.

How long does dogwood winter last?

Dogwood winters usually happen around late April or early May—right around the time the dogwood trees start blooming in many regions. Their cold weather can last anywhere from a few days up to a week and can be cold enough to bring heavy frost or snow.

What are the 5 winters?

The “little winters” in the middle of spring are called variously Dogwood Winter, Blackberry Winter, Locust Winter, Whippoorwill Winter, Redbud Winter, and a few other regional variations. Though predictable, the climb from cold of winter to the warmth of summer and back again is not completely smooth.

What does snow on the dogwood mean?

Each year in Pollock Pines we wait for the snow to fall on the Dogwood blossoms. The snow on the blossoms is the sign that the last snow has fallen for the season and the boating season has begun.

Is it Blackberry Winter or dogwood winter?

Dogwood Winter – Mid- to late April, when the dogwood trees bloom. Often a heavy frost falls in dogwood winter. Blackberry Winter – Early to mid-May, when blackberries are in full bloom. In the Tennessee mountains, this often coincides with the last frost of spring, which can kill new plantings on the farm.

Dogwood Winter

What is linen britches winter?

Linsey-Woolsey Britches Winter refers to the last surge of cold continental polar air in the spring (usually in late May in Kentucky). It relates to the last time during spring that winter clothing of homespun linen-wool combination had to be worn. Similar folklore seasons are recognized in Europe and elsewhere.

What are the four winters?

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – There are four basic springtime winters according to Tennessee folklore: Redbud, Dogwood, Locust, and Blackberry.

Why is it called a dogwood?

Flowering dogwood is named for the showy spring flowers. The common name dogwood comes from one colonial description of the fruit as being edible but not fit for a dog. The common name dogwood is also thought to be from the use of the wood for skewers or “dogs.” Other common names include boxwood and cornel.

What is the legend of the dogwood?

According to the story, it was the dogwood tree that provided the wood used to build the cross on which Jesus was crucified. Because of its role in the crucifixion, it is said that God both cursed and blessed the tree.

What is special about a dogwood tree?

The flowers of the dogwood tree can be red, pink or white. The fruit of the dogwood tree is red to yellowish red. The dogwood tree contains both male and female reproductive organs. This allows it to self-pollinate and means it can produce seeds on its own.

What is an Indian winter?

Is this what you'd call an “Indian Winter?” “Indian summer” is a term used to describe an unseasonably warm and sunny patch of weather during autumn when temperatures should have cooled down. Could it be that we are experiencing its opposite — “Indian Winter” — a period of unseasonably chilly weather during spring?!

Why is it called blackberry winter?

Oldtimers sometimes used the blooming of the Dogwood as a sign to plant their corn. Blackberry Winter is probably the most widely know of the winters. The oldtimers knew that the blackberry canes needed a cold snap to set the buds, so the cold snap during the blackberry blooming was called Blackberry Winter.

What is a blackberry summer?

1987 Esquire 108.20, Blackberry summer is the name that people who know their briers and brambles give to a certain time of year. Sometimes it occurs as early as May or even as late as September, but the pattern is always the same. For weeks the sun lolls around hot in the sky like a dog panting on its leash.

What does a dogwood look like in winter?

Some trees have scarlet-red berries that grow on them and ripen. In addition to this, the leaves turn to red or deep crimson-purple. Then in the winter, like all trees, the leaves drop. The beauty of the trees remains, however, as its bark looks scale-like and its horizontal branches look graceful.

What are the different winters in Kentucky?

What does dogwood spring mean?

But what do they mean (are they the same?), and when and how did they originate? Dictionary.com defines dogwood winter as a noun (a “South-Midland and Southern United States Americanism” to be exact), meaning a short period of cold weather in spring. Its known origin dates back to 1910.

What did Jesus say about the dogwood tree?

And in the center of the flower will be a crown--of thorns. And all who pass and see the Dogwood tree. Will remember me." Anon.

What kind of wood was the cross that Jesus was crucified on?

According to the sacred tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church the True Cross was made from three different types of wood: cedar, pine and cypress.

How tall was the cross that Jesus was crucified on?

In 1870, French architect Charles Rohault de Fleury catalogued all known fragments of the true cross. He determined the Jesus cross weighed 165 pounds, was three or four meters high, with a cross beam two meters wide.

What does dogwood look like?

Dogwood trees are easy to recognize due to their characteristic bark, smooth oval leaves, and white flower clusters. To identify dogwood trees, look for their hard, grayish bark that looks like alligator skin. Then, see if the leaves are elongated oval shapes with smooth edges and a pointed tip.

Is dogwood tree mentioned in the Bible?

“No, the dogwood doesn't grow naturally in or near Israel. It is native to Europe, eastern Asia, and North America only.” The site also says the there is not even a mention of the dogwood tree in the Bible at all.

Is dogwood toxic?

A Dogwood tree is a spring flowering tree that bears pink or white flowers. In the fall, bright red berries appear at the point where the leaves meet the branches. Dogwood berries are not toxic when eaten, but there have been reports of rashes after skin contact with the tree.

What is Whippoorwill winter?

Whippoorwill or Whip-poor-will. The last named winter, Whippoorwill Winter, is actually a herald of warmer days coming to stay for the summer. The whippoorwill (Caprimulgus vociferus) migrates from wintering in Mexico to their summer range farther north in late May to early June.

What are the different types of winter?

What winter is it in Tennessee?

Except for in the mountainous east, Tennessee's winters are pretty mild. Between December and February the daytime highs hover around 50°F, dropping off to around freezing at night. It doesn't snow much except for in the Appalachians, and even then it's often in the form of sleet and ice.