I’ve been spending more time outside lately, and I’m loving watching the green up. Here in Southeastern North Carolina, Mother Nature is stirring, stretching her arms, and brushing the world in fresh, vibrant shades of green.

Have y’all ever heard that term before? Green up?

You don’t really hear it in Eastern North Carolina—at least, I haven’t. But back in the mountains, it’s as common as redbuds in spring. All the old-timers talked about green up when I was a kid. It’s a phrase I picked up from Mamaw and Papaw.

So what is green up? It’s that fleeting moment in spring when the trees unfurl their first leaves, the bushes shake off their winter hush, and the grass wakes from its brown slumber, stretching toward the sun.

I tried digging into the term’s origins but didn’t find much. According to Wiktionary, it simply means “to put forth new growth,” but as for where or when folks started using it, that’s a mystery.

One thing’s for sure—green-up is a sight to behold no matter where you are. But in Western North Carolina, it’s downright magical. The mountains shake off winter’s grip, turning from bare, brown slopes into rolling, emerald giants.

I used to sit on Mamaw and Papaw’s porch, watching the ridges in the distance, and they’d say, “Look at that, green up’s started.”

Every year, as I watch the trees bud and leaf out, I think of those conversations. It’s a simple thing, really—just leaves sprouting, grass greening, the world coming back to life. But somehow, it always reminds me of home.

So tell me, do y’all notice green-up where you are? Maybe you’ve got another name for it. Either way, I’d love to hear how spring rolls in where you live.