This crabapple tree in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, broken in half during the Aug. 10 derecho, is shown in bloom on Sept. 5, 2020. The trees normally bloom in the spring. (photo/Cindy Hadish)

Crabapples and other trees that typically bloom in the spring might be giving their last showy display this September.

Related: How to care for trees that survived Iowa’s derecho windstorm

Some of those trees severely damaged in Iowa’s Aug. 10 hurricane-strength derecho windstorm, and further stressed by drought, can be seen blooming in Cedar Rapids this month.

Michigan State University Extension educators who have seen the phenomenon with apple trees during past autumns in their state, note that stresses such as drought, which causes growth to stop and start, can confuse woody perennials and cause out-of-sync bloom.

A similar occurrence happened after Hurricane Irene blew through North Carolina several years ago, when ornamental pear trees rebloomed after losing their leaves.

Lilac bushes, another woody perennial, also have been blooming in Iowa since the derecho, though not at the level typically seen in the spring.

If you are considering replanting a tree lost in the derecho, see this list of some of the top native trees to plant in the Midwest.

Blossoms of a crabapple tree are shown Sept. 5, 2020, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (photo/Cindy Hadish)