Fall Colors

From one of our walks over the weekend the New England asters were showing-off...

Fall Colors

There was a splash of blaze orange foliage a half mile distant.  The black cherry are done having dropped their fluorescent red leaves already.  I had a hunch about the orange.

Upon further investigation there was Populus grandidentata - bigtooth aspen.

And Quercus bicolor - swamp white oak.

 

Fall Colors

It's raining as I tap this out on my old laptop.

While nowhere close to peak from our walk yesterday were some nice fall colors to be observed.  

I predict they will be peak, around here anyway, in seven to ten days.

 

Fall Colors

While on my daily walk with the dog I've begun to notice some of the trees are beginning to turn on their fall foliage.  Nevertheless, the fall colors are not restricted to tree leaves.  The fall flowers are really pulling-out the stops with a color palette that is attracting the bumble bees, honey bees and other pollinators on the landscape.

From one of our recent walks there was this...

Fall Colors

Our daily walk is now a mile for the human. It is anybody’s guess what it is for the pup as she’s here and there, forth and back, in and out, all over the place.  She is a joy to watch.

This time of year is when the asters bloom adding their own colors to the fall palette.  

And from one of our walks this weekend there was Oligoneuron rigida - commonly known as stiff goldenrod or stiff-leaved goldenrod.  It is a native North American plant belonging to the vast aster family (Asteraceae).  Canada goldenrod is far more common but this was included in our pollinator mix planted decades-ago.

Found east of the Rocky Mountains this plant grows stems that branch at the top into multiple small yellow flower heads.  Named after a stem and leaves that are hairy and rough to the touch differentiating this flower from other goldenrod species.  

Insects gravitate to this plant for its nectar to feed in late summer and autumn.

 

And, no, it doesn't cause you to sneeze.  Common ragweed is responsible for that.

Fall Blooms

 

The pup gets a half mile walk every day before lunch trailing a check cord. This gives her ample opportunity to follow her nose and explore.  And we work on fundamental field commands.  Afterwards the both of us nap for an hour.  Yes, no shame in a snooze. 

There is most definitely a whiff of autumn in the air and according to my records these are behind schedule for 2023. 

In any event from our walk this morning there was this. Further evidence of the changing of the seasons….

Consider The Larch

I cannot get enough of my favorite tree.  The tamarack or larch - Larix laricina.  Also called the hackmatack.

The larch can tolerate cold temperatures better than any tree in North America which is why you'll find it in the northernmost tree-line regions of the continent.  Rot-resistant they make excellent shingles and fence posts.  Historically, the bark was used in the leather-tanning industry.  It's a damn useful tree.

I suppose I'm biased since we've nurtured several nice stands of tamarack on the tree farm.  They're well-suited to some of the soil types and are thriving. 

They sport some crazy branches that would almost make you think they belong in a Dr. Seuss story but the part I like best is the fall color found in this species.

The needles turn a blazing golden color - then they drop.  It's done.  In the spring the tree grows an entire new set of needles and begins the process all over again.

Functional and good-looking, consider the Larch......
 

Fall Colors

Some of the fall colors in the yard.

The last photo isn't in the yard surrounding the house but is up at the northern property line. 

Technically the big back year... 

 

 

 

  

Fall Colors

Getting closer to peak colors around these parts.

What with the gale-force winds we had last week it is miraculous that any of the leaves have remained on the trees.

 

Fall Colors

Very close to peak fall colors around here.

IMHO - the very best displays are on the road to and from the town dump...

Fall Colors

 

 

 

This tree in the yard was about the size of a pencil when I planted it almost two decades ago. 

 

Factors in its selection were fall color and wildlife.

 

It’s still a runt (as far as trees go) but the acorns magically disappear and the ruddy red color is a nice touch….

 

 

Wildflower Walk

Meet Aster novae-angliae - commonly known at the New England Aster.

This native plant grows all-over around here in sun, shade and moist spots.  A late bloomer it really shows-off when autumn rolls-around.  We included it in our prairie seed mix decades-ago.  And now it is found absolutely everywhere.

The coloring can range from white to blue although ours generally are pink to purple with variations of  blue-violet in between. 

It's a terrific nectar plan and I've been busy photographing many of the bees and butterflies paying it a visit

Wildflower Walk

Meet Helenium autumnale - named after Helen of Troy and the autumn time of the blooms -  commonly knows as Sneezeweed. 

It is not a weed - it is a member of the vast family of Asters (Asteraceae).

It begins blooming late summer and persists into the fall with sometimes as many a 100+ flowers on each plant.  Multiply that by many multiple plants and it puts on a stunning display of blooms.

It grows throughout the wetter clay soils of our rain garden.  While there is no way to know for sure it might have been included in a native wildflower mix I threw down following the installation of the rain garden.  It's also entirely possible the seeds came in with the ducks.  It's anybody's guess.

The deer appear to avoid it so if anyone wants to propagate it in their yard come by this fall to shoot some deer and collect seeds.  It is a maintenance-free and lovely flowering native plant.  And the pollinators go nuts for it.

 

Here's a historic tidbit about this plant that you can use to amuse and impress your friends.  Back in the day the early settlers collected the leaves and flower petals of this plant, set them aside to dry and pulverized it into a powder that was utilized as snuff.  Hence the sneeze.

 

Nature's Color Palette

During the spring and summer the deep green color of chlorophyll assists plants in the absorption of sunlight and masks additional colors lurking in the leaves of trees. The fall colors are there but hidden.  

The green pigment of chlorophyll is produced by plants during the photosynthesis process.  Those other ‘hidden pigments’ are called carotenoids and they are the source of the yellows, oranges, and anthocyanins, which yield red and purple leaves. While chlorophyll and carotenoids are present throughout the growing season, most anthocyanins are produced exclusively in late summer and early autumn.

There are several reasons why leaves change color in the fall, the most significant of which is shorter daylight hours and longer nighttime hours. As the days become shorter and the nights become longer, the amount of light required for photosynthesis is diminished and the production of chlorophyll slows to a halt. Without any new chlorophyll being produced, the leaves' characteristic green color begins to break down and vanish. This mechanism essentially reveals the colors of the carotenoids and anthocyanins that were lurking beneath. 

The red color is actively made in leaves by bright light and cold. The crisp, cold nights in the fall combine with bright, sunny days to spur production of red in leaves – especially in sugar maple and red maple trees. During these days, lots of sugars are produced in the leaf but the cool nights and the gradual closing of veins going into the leaf prevent these sugars from moving out. These conditions — lots of sugar and lots of light — spur production of the brilliant pigments, which tint reds, purples and crimson. 

 

Elevation and variety of tree species are two other factors that affect the timing of fall foliage. Trees in higher mountain elevations are likely to change colors more quickly than their valley counterparts within the same latitude.

We’re lucky here in the Midwest to be blessed with pretty decent fall colors.  They’re slightly late this year - yet continue to delight.

*Photos sourced from the Brussels community and our yard...