Shad Tree

Shad tree can be seen all over Montauk and the Stretch. What I didn't know until recently is the folklore of the tree.

1. Shadbush trees were known as 'serviceberry trees' as their flowers signified the ground had  thawed to be dug to bury the dead. 

2. Native Americans saw the flowering of the Shad trees as a sign that the Shad were back and making their pilgrimage up the rivers to spawn.