Chinese Pistache, El Dorado Hills (8/17/15) John Poimiroo
As is typical in August, certain specimens begin to exhibit color change, long before other trees of their species. A previous post showed an example of a liquidamber in Los Angeles that by now, last and this summer, is already showing fall color. As seen in this photograph, some branches on exotic Chinese pistache found along El Dorado Hills Boulevard and in neighborhoods are now showing yellow leaves and rose-colored berries (they began exhibiting this color starting two weeks ago). These early signs are indicators of coming change, but not evidence of the early onset of autumn. They’re normal signs that appear annually.
0 – 10% – El Dorado Hills – Exotic Chinese pistache have begun coloring up, though peak color will not be seen until mid October.
http://www.californiafallcolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-1.png00John Poimiroohttp://www.californiafallcolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-1.pngJohn Poimiroo2015-08-17 12:30:002015-08-26 17:10:35Early Signs of Color Change
Liquidambar, South of West Hollywood in LA (7/5/15) LA Leaf Peeper
Liquidambar, South of West Hollywood in LA (8/12/14 – LA Leaf Peeper)
The liquidambar that LA Leaf Peeper saw turning color last August is coloring up again this July. Here’s a comparison between the two shots.
Individual trees may begin to turn color earlier than others of their specie, though that does not necessarily mean autumn is appearing earlier. This is common. Autumn usually shows in fullness within a week or two of what it was in previous years.
Nevertheless, LA Leaf Peeper can again declare “she’s on first!”
0 – 10% – Los Angeles County – Early signs of color change can be seen in specific trees.
California Christmas Holly, Toyon (12/17/14) John Poimiroo
With successive storms having lashed the state over the past two weeks, California Holly (toyon) is now providing seasonal color across a mostly bare landscape. This Sunday, Dec. 21, is the Winter Solstice and fall color has effectively disappeared throughout most of California.
A few bright spots exist in Southern California, though it’s mostly gone and not distinctive. So, until next autumn, CaliforniaFallColor.com is declaring the party over. See you next year.
Ginkgo, LA Co. Arboretum & Botanic Gardens (12/9/14) Frank McDonough
LA Co. Arboretum & Botanic Gardens (12/4/14) Frank McDonough
Ginkgo, LA Co. Arboretum & Botanic Gardens (12/4/14) Frank McDonough
Liquidambar, LA Co. Arboretum & Botanic Gardens (12/4/14) Frank McDonough
While stormy weather has washed away what little color remained in Northern California, until today the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botantic Garden was one of the last holdouts for fall color.
Frank McDonough reports that Ginkgo biloba and Liquidambar were still peaking at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens, yesterday, though the spent leaves below a Ginkgo (seen above) illustrate how fragile the remaining color is.
Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden, Arcadia (Peak – 75 – 100%) – Ginkgo biloba and Liquidambar are providing most of the remaining color at the LA County Arboretum, but high winds lashing California are likely to strip what’s left. About 25% of trees there have not yet peaked. GO NOW!
http://www.californiafallcolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-1.png00John Poimiroohttp://www.californiafallcolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-1.pngJohn Poimiroo2014-12-11 08:59:092014-12-11 09:00:30LA County Arboretum Still Peaking
Cottonwood Canyon, Death Valley NP (11/30/14) Max Forster
Inspired by the Joshua Tree NP post, Max Forster went looking for cottonwood in Death Valley National Park this past weekend and found gold.
He writes, “There are some beautiful groves up Cottonwood Canyon. To reach the trees requires approximately 20 miles of driving on a high clearance 4×4 road from Stovepipe Wells. Once the road ends, the trees begin.
“You can continue up the canyon on foot for another four miles, encountering some impressive old growth cottonwood with each perennial spring. I would say they were mostly right at peak on Sunday (11/30). ”
Having visited to the Colorado Plateau for fall foliage in the past, Max continues he didn’t know why he hadn’t sought out SoCal desert trees for the same color, but now that he’s living in Southern California, he plans to incorporate trips to the desert for fall color once the Sierra is past peak.
Bravo, Max! You score another first as the first color spotter to report from Death Valley.
Cottonwood Canyon, Death Valley NP (11/30/14) Max Forster
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Color spotter Sandy Steinman observed that Berkeley has so many overhead telephone and power lines that they make for unattractive photographs of the urban canopy.
He recommends looking down to find more harmonious fall color and provides these post Thanksgiving dressings.
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Sandy Steinman spent his Black Friday searching for fall color and found the best deal of the day at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden where color was peaking.
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On Thanksgiving Day, we give thanks to all who contributed photos and reports and look back at highlights of autumn 2014 through this video prepared by Ron Tyler.
In 2014, over 75 individuals contributed reports and photographs. They include: LA Leaf Peeper, Alicia Vennos, Jon Klusmire, Robin Roberts, Katrina Lounsberry, Laura Thompson, Candace Gregory, Kimberly Kofala, Susan Taylor, Steve Wolfe, Alena Nichols, Casey Schreiner, Jared Smith, Valerie Nellor, Kevin Lennox, Susan Morning, Frank McDonough, Mike Nellor, Jeff Titcomb, Suzanne Jensen, Scott Turner, Alena Barnhart, Nicholas Barnhart, Kathy Thieu, Walter Gabler, Sharon Chew, Janek U, Yin You, Chuck Viebrock, Lee Foster, Elizabeth Erdelyi, Keith Lake, Joel Rathje, Stan Bales, Brittany Pozek, Barbara Pozek, Amanda Secrest, Greg Newbry, Darryl Chew, Ashley Mayer, Sharon Tan, Michelle Fox, Tim Colvin, Arya Degenhardt, Lara Kaylor, Bruce Williams, Jamie Lau, Suzi Brakken, Kevin Mallory, Karen Kleven, Kelly Lam, Ashley Hollgarth, Susan Holt, Crys Black, Jonathan Jahr, Jan Davies, Lorissa Soriano, Mariusz Jeglinski, Kevin Cooper, Lisa May, Gabriel Leete, Patty Brissenden, Joe Pollini, John Brissenden, Eric Trumbauer, Cory Poole, Larry Trettin, Jack Kirchert, Anson Davalos, Sandy Steinman, Nicole Coburn, Barbara Matthews, Ben Carlson, Jill Dinsmore, Laurie Baker, Jonathan Patterson, Marc Hoshovsky, Terry Willard, Julie Nelson, Dan Riley, Ron McNally, Max Forster and Ron Tyler.
Should we have overlooked your contributions, please know it wasn’t intentional; we apologize for having overlooked you and are indebted to every color spotter for their efforts, talents, attentiveness and generosity in reporting what they witnessed.
Special thanks are extended to Inyo County Tourism, Mono County Tourism, Mammoth Lakes Tourism, Redding Convention & Visitors Bureau, Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association, and The California Parks Company for underwriting California Fall Color. Thanks are also expressed to the many reporters and media who carried our reports and gave attention to what we have shown about California’s fall color.
This list of thank yous is incomplete without mentioning Joan, my wife, who has humored my recording of color percentages, species and elevations, pointed out particularly beautiful color, driven the car and pulled it over to the shoulder at my whim so that I could jump out to photograph a particularly beautiful location.
Of course, our deepest thanks go to the many tens of thousands of people who have followed and contributed to this site, and our Facebook and Twitter pages. You are, after all, the reason we do this.
So, until next autumn, keep looking for California’s Fall Color.
California (Peak 75-100%) – In our hearts, California is always peaking. GO NOW!
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Avalon, Santa Catalina Island (11/24/14) Nicholas Barnhart
West Side, Santa Catalina Island (11/24/14) Nicholas Barnhart
West Side, Santa Catalina Island (11/24/14) Ron McNally
Santa Catalina Island Fox (11/24/14) Alena Barnhart
Santa Catalina Island, made famous by The Four Preps in their song “26 miles,” is our newest fall color spot.
Color spotters Nick and Alena Barnhart spent this week on the “Island of romance,” reporting they saw areas of color all over the island. Nick says the color is at the end of peak with most of the remaining color to be seen in a variety of trees and shrubs, including palm trees, cottonwood, eucalyptus and various others he couldn’t identify.
Most of the color is found in the island’s “Wild Side” or interior, up canyons and often down to the beach. He suggested it’s possible to “spend days exploring different canyons and areas for fall color.” The palms were endlessly fascinating to him with some carrying orange fronds. And, of course, the island is populated with bison, deer, bald eagles and Santa Catalina Island Fox.
Local color spotter, Ron McNally, suggests November and December to be the best months at Santa Catalina for sunrises and sunsets, another colorful aspect of autumn.
Santa Catalina Island (Peak – 75-100%) – Palms, eucalyptus and cottonwood are at the end of peak, but still lovely. The combination of blue-green seas, fall color and gorgeous sunsets makes Santa Catalina one of California’s most romantic fall color destinations. GO NOW!
Palm, Santa Catalina Island (11/24/14) Nicholas Barnhart
Santa Catalina Island (11/24/14) Nicholas Barnhart
http://www.californiafallcolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-1.png00John Poimiroohttp://www.californiafallcolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-1.pngJohn Poimiroo2014-11-26 11:26:462014-11-26 11:30:57New Fall Color Spot: Santa Catalina Island
Thanksgiving Week marks two events in the national forests of northeast California, the end of fall color and the start of Christmas tree cutting.
Traveling to the north woods to cut a tree is a family adventure that for many is an annual tradition. Shasta-Trinity National Forest and Lassen National Forest are now issuing Christmas Tree cutting permits. Cost of a permit is $10 which allows one tree per household. CLICK HERE for further details.
Exotic color, Redding (11/24/14) Barbara Pozek
Scarlet Maple, CSU Chico (11/21/14) Barbara Pozek
Black Oak, Trinity Lake (11/14/14) Julie Nelson
Mushroom, Trinity County (11/14/14) Julie Nelson
Shasta Cascade color spotters report fall color being past peak across most of northeast California. Though, spots of hot color can be seen flickering along the edges of lakes (as reported earlier this week), on forest floors and in the urban forests of Redding, Red Bluff and Chico. Here’s the latest:
Shasta County (Past Peak) – A fraction of dogwood, oak and maple are still showing red and orange. YOU MISSED IT.
Butte County (Past Peak) – Autumn is hardly evident throughout most of Butte County, though Chico’s boulevards and the CSU Chico campus are still lovely with their landmark trees displaying vibrant red color. YOU MISSED IT.
Trinity County (Past Peak) – Trinity is past peak, with remnant oaks dressed in pale yellow leaves, spotted brown. YOU MISSED IT.
Siskiyou County (Past Peak) – A winter chill has descended on Siskiyou County which is now past peak. Lake Siskiyou is edged with fading yellow and orange. YOU MISSED IT.
Modoc County (Past Peak) – YOU MISSED IT.
Plumas County (Past Peak) – The first area of the Shasta Cascade to peak, Plumas County is also the last to carry significant color with oak and dogwood near Greenville and in the Indian Valley dressed in red, orange and fading yellow. YOU MISSED IT.
Tehama County (Past Peak) – Fall has flamed out in Tehama County, with its oaks carrying yellow and brown speckled leaves. YOU MISSED IT.
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