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Sunnyvale Selections

Sunnyvale (12/4/23) Lucas Yan

It seems like the cooler weather has finally caused the Ginkgo, Tulip, and Chinese Pistache trees in Sunnyvale to turn color.

Lucas Yan took a stroll around his neighborhood the afternoon of Dec. 4 and found some beautiful color, including reds and greens that look like they are right on time for the holiday season.

Sunnyvale (125’) – Peaking (50-75%) Go Now

The streets are lined with color in Sunnyvale (12/4/23) Lucas Yan
Reds and greens in Sunnyvale (12/4/23) Lucas Yan
Color everywhere you turn in Sunnyvale (12/4/23) Lucas Yan
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Mountain View Magic

Color is still plentiful in Mountain View (11/26/23) Eric Wolff

Eric Wolff found some beautiful color amidst some construction around his neighborhood in Mountain View last weekend. 

Even though December has arrived, fall still reigns for a few more weeks!

  • Mountain View (105′) – PEAK (75-10%) GO NOW!
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Bay Area Beauties

Mountain View (11/22/23) Vishal Mishra

Color spotter Vishal Mishra found some beautiful color right in his town of Mountain View as well as neighboring Palo Alto this week.

Colors are surely peaking now and it looks like a colorful Thanksgiving weekend ahead, he said on Wednesday.

  • Mountain View (105′) – PEAK (75-10%) GO NOW!
Mountain View (11/22/23) Vishal Mishra
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Berkeley’s Botanical Beauty

UC Berkeley Botanical Garden (11/14/23) Jennifer Natale

The UC Berkeley Botanical Garden is at various stages of color. Color spotter Jennifer Natale is a member and goes at least twice each fall. When she visited this week, some areas, such as the Eastern US section and some of the Asia collection are at, or near, peak.

Other areas such as the rest of the Asia area and Japanese pool are just starting to turn with some green leaves still remaining. Usually the week of Thanksgiving is peak for the Japanese pool but it may last until the very end of the month, given how slow it’s changing, Natale says. She also recommends that visitors check football schedules and campus events, which could make parking and traffic difficult. Also check the university’s website for hours or any closures for special events. 

Natale suggests people go in the next two weeks for a good mix of color (barring any heavy wind events).

  • UC Berkeley Botanical Garden (171′) – Near Peak, Go Now.
Japanese Pool (11/14/23) Jennifer Natale
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Los Altos Lookers

Chinese Pistache trees thrive in most conditions and provide gorgeous fall colors. (11/11/23) Lucas Yan

With its attractive autumn foliage, the Chinese Pistache is a great find this time of year, and color spotter Lucas Yan hit the jackpot this weekend.

He was at State Street Market in Los Altos the morning of November 11 (11/11) and found the Chinese Pistache in full glory around the market.

“The trees are definitely at peak,” he said.

  • Los Altos (157′) – Near Peak to Peak (50-100%) GO NOW!
State Street Market in Los Altos (11/11/23) Lucas Yan
Chinese Pistache (11/11/23) Lucas Yan
ColGetting holiday ready against a fall backdrop in Los Altos (11/11/23) Lucas Yan
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Livermore Lights Up

Vineyards in Livermore (11/8/23) Michelle Pontoni
Color spotter Michelle Pontoni ventured south of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory this week to find vineyards and shoot some late afternoon color to share with everyone. 
 
From interstate 580 in Livermore, take South Vasco Rd to Tesla, she said. Going left on Tesla and right on Greenville Rd. take you past rows and rows of colorful vineyards beyond white fences.
 
“In the distance, the rolling hills are striped with alternating golds, reds, greens, and yellows. Signs along the way announce several wineries open for tasting.”
 
  • Livermore Valley – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
Lots to love in Livermore (11/8/23) Michelle Pontoni
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Down By the Bay

Fall in Saratoga and Woodside (11/4/23) Vishal Mishra

Color spotter Vishal Mishra was excited to share that fall is slowly but surely picking up in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Mishra visited Saratoga and Woodside on Nov. 4 and reported the following: “Happy to share that, I finally have some colors picking up from the San Francisco Bay Area. We have not been lucky yet with the rain but it seems we can expect cooler temperatures in the coming days, so I am hoping for a fantastic fall foliage this year.”

Keep an eye on the Bay Area for upcoming GO NOW conditions.

Fall Saratoga and Woodside (11/4/23) Vishal Mishra
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Untraditional in the South Bay

Pickleweed in Alviso (11/3/23) Hanna Summers

On Friday, November 3 color spotter Hanna Summers came across some untraditional, but still stunning colors in Alviso, the southern most part of the San Francisco Bay.

“Not your traditional fall colors, but I could not help but share the beauty at the southern most part of the SF Bay that I saw in Alviso today,” she said. “The pickleweed was turning beautiful shades of red as were some of the other plants (iceplants and thistles)… not to mention the beautiful hues of orange, pink, and red in the water itself from the salt loving microbes!”

Fall is fall to us here and any color changes count in our book!

Colorful views in Alviso, SF Bay (11/3/23) Hanna Summers
Salt loving microbes join in the fall color fun in Alviso (11/3/23) Hanna Summers
Beautiful colors and views in Alviso (11/3/23) Hanna Summers
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One Last Look

Anderson River Park (11/25/22) Ryan Boyd

Northern California was still lovely last week. However, after today’s lashing of wind, rain and lightening, much of it is gone.

Ryan Boyd sent this last look at what he saw a week ago along the Lower Sacramento River and in the Livermore Valley.

  • Livermore Valley (495′) – Past Peak, You Missed It.
  • Lower Sacramento River (433′) – Past Peak, You Missed It.
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Sycamore Grove Park

California sycamore, Sycamore Grove Park, Livermore (11/28/22) Salil Bhatt
Sycamore Grove Park, Livermore (11/28/22) Salil Bhatt

As seen in this and the previous post, California sycamore are at peak both in northern and southern California. I’d asked East Bay color spotter Salil Bhatt to visit Sycamore Grove Park in Livermore, and he reports the sycamore as slightly past peak, noting they were probably their best during Thanksgiving week or the week prior.

Southern California sycamore are trailing by a week, which is worth noting for future visits.

Note the distinctive multi-stemmed, weathered trucks of California sycamore. At perfection, they are sculptural in form. The leaves depicted in these images are uniformly golden, though other examples in the Santa Monica Mountains NRA have combined burnt sienna, gold, yellow and raw umber, wonderously.

Salil reports that, “Fall has progressed rather quickly over the Thanksgiving weekend in the East Bay. As late as Thanksgiving day, the colors were just cresting peak and when I got back from my weekend trip – many of the trees had already dropped their leaves. The remaining have leaves that have taken on a more muted brown. There is still color to be found, particularly in the native cottonwood and some oak species but the area as a whole is rapidly approaching past peak.

“With that in mind, I rushed to take a quick run of Sycamore Grove Park in Livermore to see what was left of the sycamore. Most had crested peak probably a week or two ago, but there were some splashes of color remaining. There was more color in the cottonwoods, willow and walnut. I even spotted a few vineyards with peak foliage. He even found a juvenile sycamore sprouting below an older one, bringing a smile to his face as he imagined the succession of generations of these noble natives.”
Salil concluded, “I suspect the storms this week will likely strip the remaining color of the trees, sealing the story of autumn for this year in the East Bay.”
 
Good observation, Salil. Oncoming weather is predicted to bring rain, cold and wind which will undoubtedly spell the end of fall color in northern California. I was gathering leaves with my e-blower this week and turned it upward toward an Eastern redbud which immediately sent golden leaves spinning and swirling, leaving branches bare.
 
In a few days, the slightest breeze will strip what color remains, at least up north. Down south, the storm is not predicted to be as strong and fall color will continue to develop, with Orange County being the last county in California to glow from autumn’s blush.
  • Sycamore Grove Park, Livermore (495′) – PEAK to Past Peak, GO NOW, You almost missed it.