Fall has taken a turn towards the bleak. A cold steady two-day rain and 20-30 mile per hour winds today have finished stripping most of the leaves from the canopy. Of course, there are still Oak leaves, and many of the understory trees are pretty leafy, but we must be approaching 60+% defoliation. For much of the seson the weather has been warm and friendly, the colors bright and cheerful, but not so much lately. Still, that's what fall is about and eventually it'll be winter. While the predominant colors are umbers, ochers, and russets, there are still some clear oranges, reds, and the odd buttery yellow. In some way, rain, fog, and gloom serve to heighten the impact of the lingering specimens.
The top picture is
Acer ceriferum, an obscure Chines Maple that I've had no prior experience with; nice orange foliage. Trompenberg is an old standby in the trade....go figure. We have a number of different
Acer davidii; this one has an especially nice display of fall color that is significantly later than most of the others (many of whom are mostly defoliated now).
Cornus controversa 'Variegata' is a tree that is beloved around the world in zones 6-7-8. In the fall a pink overlay infused the creamy variegation of the leaves.
