By JESSE HYDE
jesse@du2.byu.edu
The grass turns green, BYU co-eds break out the shorts, and the trees begin to bloom in shades of red, white, and pink. The colors of spring.
Of all the signs spring has arrived, blooming trees may be the most beautiful. Roy Peterman, BYU grounds director, some trees have already started to bloom, and others will continue to bloom until the end of April.
Peterman identified the white trees blooming on campus as mostly pear trees. He said the trees blooming pink are mostly plum trees.
Walking around campus isn't the only way students can see trees bloom. Peterman helped put together a Web site featuring photos and facts of 115 different varieties of trees on campus.
The site (at http://bioag.byu.edu/aghort/tree_tour) showcases trees like the Serbian Spruce and the Japanese Pagoda. Trees native to the region, like Aspen and Zumac, are also highlighted.
The online tree tour also teaches interesting facts about the trees on campus. The Giant Sequoia, for example, has the most massive trunk in the world and is one of the tallest trees. The Giant Sequoia is listed as the 74th tree on the tour and grows near the botany ponds south of campus.
The site tells the origin of each tree, its flowering characteristics, and leaf characteristics, among other facts.
Of all the trees growing on campus Peterman said his favorite is the Big Oak. He describes the tree as majestic and said it offers wonderful shade.
Caring for the trees falls upon a crew of five students, Peterman said. They are responsible for pruning and caring for nutrient deficient trees, Peterman said.
The grounds department employs about 400 students each year. Peterman said maintaining the grounds keeps employees busy all year.
Thanks to the work of the grounds crew students can enjoy all of the different varieties of trees growing on campus. One student said she enjoys the trees all year round.
'In the fall I love to see the leaves change, and then I love to see all the trees blooming during the spring. It's symbolic,' said Fashion Chavez, 21, a senior from Seal Beach, Calif., majoring in humanities.