The Side Effects of Endorphins

I’ve now lived in Washington State for a dozen years and never had an encounter with the beast that lurks amongst us.

That is the northern Catalpa, also known as the cigar tree.

Commonly found in parks and neighborhoods across Washington state (including Everett and the greater Puget Sound area), it is well-known for its unique, long, and slender green seed pods that dangle from the branches, closely resembling oversized asparagus spears or green beans.

I never knew of this tree until it showed up in our backyard. We bought the house in early spring, and the tree had not yet spread its wings.

One must wear a helmet in our yard. The tree now ejects asparagus projectiles down towards our deck. I can’t see the tree as especially pretty because I’ve never noticed it over all these years.

This tree has large, heart-shaped leaves that grow late in the spring and give the tree a course texture. Trumpet shaped flowers that are white with yellow stripes and purple spots are highly noticeable in early June..

Don’t let the science fool you. They are out to get us. Many people on the east coast are celebrating seeing their first lightning bug. And I salute you.

We are celebrating a first direct hit (head bonk) of the asparagus flower plummeting from the Cigar tree.