John Poimiroo – Page 5 – California Fall Color

Rapid Change Down South

“Rain, sunshine, and cool nights are causing things to turn here quite rapidly,” reported Frank McDonough of the LA County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, today. The change between what he posted ten days ago and now is significant.

In past years, the LA County Arboretum’s peak extended two weeks into December. However, a few of its trees, presently, are nearly Past Peak.

Liduidambar and Crepe myrtle, Peacock Cafe, LA County Arboretum (11/17/22) Frank McDonough

Chinese pistache, Education Section, LA County Arboretum (11/17/22) Frank McDonough

Crepe myrtle, LA County Arboretum (11/17/22) Frank McDonough

Autumn blaze maple (Jeffersred), Crescent Garden, LA County Arboretum (11/17/22) Frank McDonough

Enough peak color will remain to make a Thanksgiving Day week trip to arboreta and botanic gardens in LA County gratifying. Peak color should be seen at the arboretum into the first week of December, though go now to see it at its best.

LA County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, Arcadia (482′) – PEAK (75-100%), GO NOW!

November 19, 2022 by John Poimiroo

Red Hot

As Salil Bhatt’s images show, the San Ramon Valley is red hot with exotic Callery or Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana) planted along neighborhood streets.

Native color (western sycamore, valley oak and Frémont cottonwood) is still patchy, though approaching peak. The Tri-Valley region (Livermore, San Ramon and Amador valleys) of the East Bay is otherwise peaking in all its neighborhoods.

Salil solved the riddle I’d posted last week (Into the Bramble), of the plant seen at Mormon Island Wetlands SP that was ornamented with many white feather-duster-shaped blossoms. The plant is Coyote Brush (Asteraceae), an evergreen plant with male and female flowers borne on separate shrubs. They were blooming across the hills. In early January, the female shrubs will carry fluffy puffs of white fruit.

Sycamore, San Ramon Valley (11/11/22) Salil Bhatt

Callery Pear, San Ramon Valley (11/15/22) Salil Bhatt

San Ramon Valley (11/16/22) Salil Bhatt

Callery Pear, San Ramon Valley (11/16/22) Salil Bhatt

Sycamore, San Ramon Valley (11/16/22) Salil Bhatt

San Ramon Valley (11/16/22) Salil Bhatt

Frémont cottonwood, San Ramon Valley (11/15/22) Salil Bhatt

Tri-valley Area, East SF Bay (495′) – Patchy to PEAK (10 – 100%), GO NOW!

November 19, 2022 by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, Shasta Cascade

Faithful to the End

A few spotters are faithful to the end. They return to places that common belief would say were Past Peak. Philip Reedy is among the faithful.

Yesterday, Reedy traveled north beyond Redding to join Scott Embrey for a day of fishing and photography on the Upper Sacramento River. Had he asked, I woulda discouraged optimism, thinking it was unlikely he’d find much fall color.

As it was, Phil found “mountainsides… full of oak trees in full yellow, orange and red splendor,” with nice color along the river.

At Simms Flat, “a lot of trees had lost their leaves,” though “there were still many that looked great.” At Conant, it was a mix of “bare trees and some still bright with color.”

In the Box Canyon, Reedy and Embrey strode upon a beautiful blanket of yellow and orange leaves, though winter’s approach was evident. A fair bit of snow still lay on the ground from the previous storm and Mt Shasta was again capped majestically in white.

However faithful Phil was in anticipating he’d be photographing fall color, he admitted he got there at the very end. Phil estimates the mountainside oaks will remain dressed in copper, citrus and clementine for perhaps another week, but not much longer.

Nevertheless, if you’re heading to Redding for the Thanksgiving week, pretty glimpses of fall color will be possible along the Upper Sacramento River, a short distance beyond Castella, Conant and Dunsmuir … if you keep the faith, like Phil did.

Simms Flat, Upper Sacramento River (11/17/22) Philip Reedy

Simms Campground View, Upper Sacramento River (11/17/22) Philip Reedy

Simms Footbridge View, Upper Sacramento River (11/17/22) Philip Reedy

Cantara Loop Trail, Upper Sacramento River (11/17/22) Philip Reedy

Freight Train, Upper Sacramento River (11/17/22) Philip Reedy

Box Canyon, Upper Sacramento River (11/17/22) Philip Reedy

Cantara Loop, Upper Sacramento River (11/17/22) Philip Reedy

Box Canyon, Upper Sacramento River (11/17/22) Philip Reedy

Conant, Upper Sacramento River (11/17/22) Philip Reedy

Simms Flat (1,664′) – PEAK to Past Peak, GO NOW, you almost missed it.
Conant (1,836′) – PEAK to Past Peak, GO NOW, you almost missed it.
Cantara Loop, Box Canyon (2,800′) – PEAK to Past Peak, GO NOW, you almost missed it.

November 18, 2022 by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, North Coast

Mixed Results

Mixed results are being reported by color spotter Walt Gabler of Mendocino County who found bare vineyards on most vineyards, though occasional blocks at peak.

The above photograph is of the entrance to the Parducci family’s McNab Ridge winery in Hopland where chartreuse sycamore line a boulevard.

Hopland, Mendocino County (509′) – PEAK to Past Peak, GO NOW, you almost missed it.

November 18, 2022 by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, North Coast

Uncorked Sonoma County

Ask a vintner to describe the color of a young white wine and you’ll hear, “pale straw with green reflections.” But, ask the same vintner what color Pinot Noir leaves are in autumn and you’ll get a blank stare.

As Risa Wyatt shows above, they are yellow.

Risa went looking for answers to questions about Sonoma County’s 2022 harvest, which just finished last week, and returns with this report.

A golden finale was seen at Lynmar on the Vineyard Hillside. This year’s vintage brought challenges to growers, including spring frost, an early September heat spike, and hard frosts in early November. So, while the grape quality is high, the quantity is low.

“The size of the berries was small this year, but they have excellent concentration and depth of flavor,” says Pete Soergel, winemaker at Lynmar Estate in the Russian River Valley whose Quail Hill Vineyard is planted with 14 Pinot Noir and two Chardonnay clones.

Vineyards at Lynmar Estate sweep down to the Laguna de Santa Rosa, the largest freshwater wetlands on the northern California coast. The creeks, marshes, riparian forests, and grasslands provide a home for hundreds of species of birds and mammals such as mink, badger, bobcat, and river otter.

In addition, the Laguna enhances wine-grape quality. “Cool air drains down our vineyard slopes and helps keep acid level high in the grapes,” says Pete Soergel, winemaker at Lynmar Estate. With proximity to the Laguna, Lynmar practices regenerative agriculture and utilizes solar power.

Vines are carrying orange to yellow leaves.

Lynmar Estate, Sebastopol (11/10/22) Risa Wyatt

Home to 60,000 acres of vineyards and more than 425 wineries, Sonoma County has 19 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs, or appellations). In the Russian River Valley, cooling fogs from the Pacific Ocean and rivers create moderate temperatures that are ideal for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

In 2022, springtime budbreak and autumn harvest both came early to this region, and the golden vines are starting to drop their leaves. But fall color continues in other parts of the county, varying according to climate, elevation, and grape variety.

For more than a century, five generations of the Kunde Family have farmed a dramatic 1,850-acre estate in Kenwood, the heart of Sonoma Valley. The property sweeps 1,700 feet from the valley floor up to the Mayacamas Mountains. In autumn, vineyard blocks planted with different varieties drape patchworks of color over the foothills.

Note how each block has a different color: yellow, red, orange, lime. That’s indicative of how varied species peak on their own schedule and in different tones.

Sonoma County Vineyards (164′) – PEAK (75-100%) GO NOW!
Mendocino County Vineyards (633′) – PEAK (75-100%) GO NOW!

November 14, 2022 by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, North Coast

Return to Sunny Brae

Travels has Michelle and Ron Pontoni missing most of California’s autumn, but returned to Sunny Brae, their neighborhood in Arcata along the North Coast just before it moved to Past Peak.

Heavy rain had pelted Arcata and the neighborhood’s venerable trees were glistening in the late afternoon sun, creating glimpses of autumn’s creations.

Sunny Brae, Arcata (11/12/22) Michelle Pontoni

Arcata (23′) – PEAK to Past Peak, GO NOW, You almost missed it.

November 14, 2022 by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, Los Angeles County, Southern California, Wildlife

Avian Camouflage

Had Kathy Jonokuchi not seen a Nanday Conure fly to one of the Western sycamores at the Peter Strauss Ranch in Cornell, she might not have been able to send photographs of them. Their lime green plumage is that well camouflaged with the chartreuse of peaking sycamore.

Until this past spring, the Peter Strauss Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains NRA had been closed to the public since the Woolsey Fire of ’18 due to hazardous conditions. Western sycamore and live oak survived the fire, as did these naturalized parakeets which were busy devouring sycamore seed pods and occasionally squawking when another flock of conures flew by.

She captured a trio of Nandays inspecting a tree hole, one likely made by one of many acorn woodpeckers in the area.

Nanday Conures, Western sycamore, Peter Strauss Ranch, Cornell 11/14/22 Kathy Jonokuchi

Peter Strauss Ranch, Santa Monica Mountains NRA, Cornell (790′) – Patchy to Near Peak (10 – 75%) Go Now.

November 14, 2022 by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, Inland Empire, Southern California

Eponymous Trail

When Bonnie Hulkower wrote she “had a lovely afternoon jaunt hiking through the Dogwood Trail at the eponymous campgrounds,” I immediately Googled “eponymous campgrounds,” as I didn’t know where campgrounds named “eponymous” might be.

Duh. She meant the Dogwood Campgrounds, after the similarly named (ergo, eponymous) Dogwood Campground Loop. OK, so I’m slow on the uptake, but I also had a good laugh at my own expense.

Turns out, the “reddish-pink” dogwood along the 3.8 mi. Dogwood Campground Loop near Lake Arrowhead are still at the tail end of peak, as are many black oak.

Bonnie reported the trail to be lightly traveled for a holiday weekend, though this is likely the last week to see color at this San Bernardino National Forest location.

Dogwood Campground Loop, Lake Arrowhead (11/13/22) Bonnie Hulkower

Black oak, Dogwood Campground Loop, Lake Arrowhead (11/13/22) Bonnie Hulkower

Dogwood Campground Loop, Lake Arrowhead (11/13/22) Bonnie Hulkower

Dogwood Campground Loop (5,174′) – PEAK to Past Peak, GO NOW, You almost missed it.

November 13, 2022 by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, San Francisco Bay Area

USC Surrounds Stanford

Cardinal and gold surround Stanford presently with USC’s school colors dominating Palo Alto, Los Altos and Menlo Park.

Vishal Mishra reports Peak conditions along the southern San Francisco Peninsula.

Menlo Park (72′) – PEAK (75-100%) GO NOW!
Palo Alto (30′) – PEAK (75-100%) GO NOW!
Los Altos (157′) – PEAK (75-100%) GO NOW!

November 13, 2022 by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, Gold Country

Into The Bramble

Into the bramble I trod today, just to find fall color.

I emerged scratching my head after visiting Mormon Island Wetlands SP in Folsom. There were the usual and expected culprits: Frémont cottonwood, California grape, blue oak and valley oak, even a California toyon, all at peak. But I also found a few plants I couldn’t identify, even after returning to pore over reference books.

A needled vine (seen above) was the most dramatic. It spread in low mounds throughout the area (below left) and its leaves resembled those of the Virginia creeper. My first impression was that it was California blackberry (Rosaceae) though I knew that blackberry have 3-lobed leaves, ordinarily. Then I reviewed Eva Begley’s Plants of Northern California to confirm that some California blackberry occasionally have five lobes or leaves.

California blackberry is a nettlesome thing with a bed of needles beneath each leaf that is surely meant to discourage deer from dining on them. They also have the distinction of bearing both male and female flowers, often on different plants. Berries would have settled the question, though they fell, were eaten or picked long ago.

Blackberry bramble?, Mormon Island Wetlands SP, Folsom (11/13/22) John Poimiroo

California blackberry?, Mormon Island Wetlands SP, Folsom (11/13/22) John Poimiroo

An additional mystery was the forest-green shrub seen above. It was profusely ornamented with white blooms whose petals burst out like tiny feather dusters.

Salil Bhatt provided its identity a week after this article was first posted. It is Coyote Brush (Asteraceae), a member of the sunflower family. For coming to my rescue, Salil earns Fall Color creds, and I have reminded myself, once again, how little I know of California flora.