A Late Yet Great Start in LA County

We were comparing notes with Frank McDonough of the LA County Arboretum and Botanical Garden this past week who suggests that a cooler than usual summer may be contributing to a late start for fall color in LA County’s urban forests, as plants were confused by cooling, then warming weather.  Frank says science is still imprecise as to the triggering mechanisms for fall color, with light, temperature and water influencing change.  He opined that the same environmental conditions that contributed to a late show at the arboretum’s elevation, may have also contributed to an earlier one in the High Sierra’s climate zone.  For us color watchers, however, it adds variety and interest.

 

 

 

30 – 50% – LA County Arboretum and Garden – Expect spots of brilliant color to continue to show through November and into early December.  Seen in these photos, the LA County Arboretum is exhibiting color change among varied exotic species, such as: Shagbark Hickory (carya ovata) putting on a rosey show, Eastern Redbud (cercis canadensis) full or orange in the arboretum’s Kallam Garden and Grape Vine and Freeman’s maples showing hot red near the Herb Garden.