American Linden Seed ‘Copters

Let’s start at dusk when a pair of helicopters passed overhead, low and slow. And let’s conclude with the summer ballet of American Linden seed ‘copters whirling free of their mother tree.

A few nights ago two enormous military helicopters — the sort with huge propellers on either end — flew over Rosslyn’s waterfront at dusk. Slow rolling thunder. The sort of tremendously loud thwump-thwump that you not only hear but feel in your entire body stayed with me for quite some time. The first helicopter had all of its lights extinguished. The second had all of its running lights on. An explanation for what I witnessed has been offered by a couple of friends with military experience, but the slow-low flight, scarcely clearing our boathouse flagpole (from my perspective), was unsettling.

Now a gentler, reassuring echo as seed ‘copters from the American Linden (also known as Tilia americana, basswood, or bee tree) whirl free of the tree that released them, across the lawn. Whirling diagonally away from the tree, transported with the slightest breeze, and then collecting on the lawn and decks.

I offer you several recent glimpses of American Linden seed clusters, freshly landed, still remembering the hypnotic ballet that is danced once, after the honey bees have enjoyed the blooms and the seed ‘copters begin to descend.

American Linden Seed ‘Copters Haiku

Thwump-thwump overhead
winged seeds whirling spiral down
summer breeze ballet