Last Drips of Color
Despite the occasional last drips of fall color, California is now largely past peak.
These images were taken on a foggy, wet morning, the kind that quickly transforms warm cotton blue jeans into sponges when bush whacking through foliage.
Most of the native color throughout the state has fallen, been blown away or is now rain-damaged by the storm that passed over the state this past weekend. Exotic, ornamental plants are providing the encore.
Wisteria seed pods, El Dorado Hills (12/14/20) John Poimiroo 
Wisteria, El Dorado Hills (12/14/20) John Poimiroo
Wisteria are among the last climbing exotics to turn. They’ve dropped their seed pods which explode loudly upon hitting the ground, ejecting their seeds as much as 20 feet away upon impact.
Hawthorne, El Dorado Hills (12/14/20) John Poimiroo 
Hawthorne, El Dorado Hills (12/14/20) John Poimiroo
Bright, red Hawthorne tree berries hang from bare branches in clusters of Christmas ornaments. The leaves long since fell and carpet the earth as they decay.
It’s now time for other ornaments to attract our attention, though Toyon and Pyracantha join Hawthorne in one last flush of seasonal color as winter approaches. There’s only a week to go until autumn is just a memory.
- El Dorado Hills (768′) – Past Peak, You Missed It.
