Whirlgigs Take Over Sioux Falls This Mother’s Day Weekend

If you were out Mother's Day weekend, chances are you witnessed an invasion around your neighborhood. The helicopters were flying!

No, they weren't the Bell UH-1 Iroquois (also known as the Huey), but samara seeds of the Autumn Blaze Maple trees. Some people call them Whirlgigs or twisters, but they were flying! Most people I know, call them helicopters!

My neighborhood on Sioux Falls' Southeast side has loads of them, and my driveway and yard weren't the only ones hit over the weekend. My neighbors around the block were also commenting on the nuisance.

These samara seeds are actually an interesting design. They're paper-thin with a shape that ensures a wide spread and hence, dispersal. Over the weekend, they really spread out.

Many of them came to rest in driveway cracks, where, if left for weeks, turn into a mess. Then can cause issues and block the gutters on your house. Come to think of that, I might put a ladder up later today and check to see if my downspouts are going to plug. 'That is if we get a rain.' Ever. Again.

AND it's not every year they fly.  Some years, maples (including Autumn Blaze) may produce a large number of seeds, known as a "mast year," which typically happens every few years, not every year. 

If you have an Autumn Blaze in your yard, you probably have some to sweep up or blow into the neighbor's yard. Ok. We'll sweep the up!

Thank you for sharing this story with your tree-loving friends. Whirlgigs. Twisters. Helicopters. Now appearing in your driveway!