A sign of spring transitioning into summer

A pine cone open on one side, and closed on the other. Why? While walking to school to pick up Evelyn, an evergreen tree on my block dropped a bunch of pine cones. I picked one up, because I like holding something from nature on a walk. Plus, it gives me something to investigate while waiting for her to come out. When I plucked this pine cone from the grass, the side facing up was open. But flipping it over, the side that had been facing the ground was closed. (nine-second video) Pine cones open and close based on moisture. When the air is dry and warm, they open up. When it’s damp or cold, they close. Try it sometime — put a pine cone in your fridge (especially the fruit crisper where there is more humidity), and it’ll close right up. Take it back out, and it opens again. The cells inside are actually dead, so it happens entirely on its own, a purely mechanical response to moisture. Today was the first warm, dry day in a couple of weeks, reaching 80 degrees with only 28% humidity, so…