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Spring 2007 wasn't fun (Baby it was cold outside!).
Things were going well weather-wise during
March of 2007 and the first few days of April. I was tracking the
"flowers to fruits" progression of an American elm in Marion, OH,
and both Norway and sugar maple at the Union Cemetery in Columbus, OH, visiting the trees at one-week intervals.
 American elm flowers, March 27, 2007, Marion OH.  American elm young fruits, April 3, 2007, Marion OH. Then on April 4th it got really
cold and stayed that way for a week. Here's climate data from
that month. Note the 7 consecutive days (nights, probably) with temps
below freezing.
 The plants didn't like it at all. Here's the elm fruits, killed by the freeze.
 American elm, fruits frost-killed, April 10, 2007. The Norway maple was leafing out and flowering profusely.
 Norway maple branches emerging from bud, April 3, 2007, Columbus, OH.  Norway maple branches emerging from bud, April 3, 2007, Columbus, OH  Norway maple staminate flower, April 3, 2007, Columbus, OH Then, bbbrrrrrrrrr!!!  Silver maple flowers come out before the leaves appear. They're easy to miss, as from far away they just look like swollen buds.
 Silver maple pistillate flowers, March 27, 2007, Columbus, OH.
 Silver maple very young fruits, March 27, 2007, Columbus, OH.  Silver maple fruits, April 3, 2007, Columbus, OH. Honey, will you please turn the heat on...it's really cold tonight!
 Silver maple fruits destroyed by the week-long chill, April 10, 2007, Columbus, OH. These trees weren't harmed much by the bad
weather. They are hardy and long-lived perennials with many other
opportunities to produce seeds. The really devastating effects were
felt by area fruit tree growers.
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