Edit:
Just realized the correct name for the tree is actually maple.

False friend caused mistake because its name is “Ahorn” in German.
Keeping the heading as it is, because it is funny, although it might trigger the Canadians (sorry, dudes!).

  • Etterra@discuss.online
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    8 hours ago

    Me: Acorn tree? So an oak tree? Zooms in those aren’t oak leaves.

    OP: okay so I just found out how wrong I was.

  • Cherry@piefed.social
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    12 hours ago

    Anyone else’s OCD marveling in the almost squareness of the drop whilst also trying to figure the floor vrs the drop?

    Only to figure its just the paving lines.

      • Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.deOP
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        19 hours ago

        Does the term “flower” apply to trees, though?

        Besides, the dropped stuff seemed only to be a part of the blossoms that I didn’t knew the name for.
        Rest of the blossom constructs stayed on the tree.

          • Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.deOP
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            17 hours ago

            Thanks!

            So, TIL that the English term “flower” is used in a much broader sense than its supposed direct German translation “Blume”.

            Nobody in Germany would say a tree has flowers (Blumen), but that it has blossoms (Blüten).
            And “Flowering Plants” are also named “Blütenpflanzen” (“Blossom Plants”).

            So saying “tree flowers” sounds really, really odd to me.
            Like someone calling a jumping frog “a flying frog”.

            So thanks for the explanation, would never have guessed that by myself but will now use it in all my future tree-related discussions! :-)

            • protist@retrofed.com
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              15 hours ago

              In English, in my opinion at least, “flower” describes the inflorescence at any point in its growth cycle, while “blossom” describes the flower at its fullest development. More often though, “blossom” is used as a verb meaning to bloom or to develop.

              • Drusas@fedia.io
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                9 hours ago

                “Blossom” is definitely commonly used in American English, just not nearly as frequently as “flower”.

              • Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.deOP
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                14 hours ago

                I knew it from things like “cherry blossom”, meaning “Kirschblüte”, so have always assumed “blossom” to be used in completely the same way as “Blüte”.
                Same for “Blume”/“flower”.
                Turns out, both assumptions have been wrong.

                • ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works
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                  13 hours ago

                  Well since it’s english and we borrow and mash everything around and together: we say that flowers and trees ‘bloom’ when they produce blossoms.

        • Drusas@fedia.io
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          19 hours ago

          Maple trees do not produce flowers, but many other types of trees do.

          • protist@retrofed.com
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            15 hours ago

            Maple trees are angiosperms and definitely produce flowers. They may not be showy, but they’re there

            • Drusas@fedia.io
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              9 hours ago

              Interesting, thank you. I guess I should instead say, then, that I have never seen any flowers on any maple trees and I have seen tons of maple trees. But I didn’t know that. I’ll have to do some reading. I love plants. You could study them all day every day and die knowing so little about them.

              • protist@retrofed.com
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                3 hours ago

                Quite a few angiosperms have inconspicuous flowers. All grasses have flowers, but on most species you’ll never see them unless you’re studying them with a magnifying glass

  • Duranie@leminal.space
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    14 hours ago

    Growing up we called them helicopters because of the way they’d spin while falling. As an adult I’m more likely to think “welp, the tree shit all over the driveway again.” Lol

    • Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.deOP
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      14 hours ago

      The helicopters are the seeds during autumn though.

      The things in the picture are apparently the flower petals the tree throws when not needing them any more.

      The helicopters are fun.
      Not only the way they fall, but we also used to open them up and stick them to our noses.

      As an adult l am more divided: still somehow like them, but don’t like having to remove dozens of maple saplings from our garden each year…

  • Pirtatogna@lemmy.world
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    19 hours ago

    I upvoted for the false friend explanation. Thank you for tickling my language nerd gland in such a pleasing way.

  • ODGreen@lemmy.ca
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    17 hours ago

    Canadian here. Yea bud you triggered me there eh. That’s fer sure a maple. I just helped my buddy tap a few maple trees couple weeks back.

  • A_norny_mousse@piefed.zip
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    18 hours ago

    I, too, always have difficulties calling these thingies flowers! Blossom is actually the prefered term for trees I believe? Some of them just don’t look flowery at all.

    What caused the rapid fall? Wind?

    • Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.deOP
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      17 hours ago

      What caused the rapid fall? Wind?

      We had a weather change from very warm and sunny to colder and rainy over night.
      That might have played a role here.

  • altphoto@lemmy.today
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    15 hours ago

    Morning after pill should always be an option. What if one of those had turned into another tree? Think about it! This tree is just being responsible by not bringing another tree into the world whe they are not ready for the commitment.

    • Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.deOP
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      19 hours ago

      Not that I know of…

      Why?

      Is this some kind of insider reference or should l go and have a look at the door bell nameplates of the neighbouring buildings for some reason?

      • cyan_mess@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        18 hours ago

        It’s a reference to “100 Years of Solitude”. >!When the patriarch Aureliano Buendía dies, yellow flowers rain all over the streets of his town!<