Springs advance guard

Fruiting trees are beginning to blossom, in the garden it's the cherries, out here in the forest it's the Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) who are the first of the woodland cohort to show. Walking in Bratley Wood I noticed one tree in the wood was far more advanced in flowering terms than the others, it's buds were full to burst and clusters of clean white flowers were already on show. What was interesting, to me anyway, was that the advanced tree was a stressed tree, one that had suffered storm damage a season or so ago and was listing at 30 degrees. One of the stress responses in plants is to produce more flowers and therefore, hopefully, more seeds to increase the trees likelihood of reproduction and survival of its line. I've seen this in other trees, one in particular is that rarest of trees, in these parts anyway, the Juniper. I only know of two junipers, only one that fruits, and that fruiting one is highly stressed and always heavy with berries. The Blackthorn is common throughout the forest, especially along the stream corridors and amongst the open ancient deciduous stands, this one's going to be a riot  of flowers soon. One of springs advance guard. Hail and welcome.