Weeping Maples

While in my yard yesterday, I noticed something interesting. My husband recently re-edged our landscape beds. In the process he cut a couple of roots from our maple tree that were at the bed edge. It has been really dry here lately. However, the soil around the pruned roots was wet. I snapped this picture, but I am not sure if you can see the wet soil. This is just another sign of spring coming. Maples are known for sap weeping or "bleeding" in the spring season, especially from pruning cuts or other wounds. This is caused by the sap beginning to move just below the bark tissue and should correct itself once the leaves begin to emerge.