Lavezzola Creek, Downieville (11/5/16) Philip Reedy
Lavezzola Creek, Downieville (11/5/16) Philip Reedy
Lavezzola Creek, Downieville (11/5/16) Philip Reedy
Last weekend’s storm kept a lot of photographers and color spotters from visiting locations where autumn color was peaking.
That happened to Philip Reedy, who returned to Downieville, in the northern Gold Country, yesterday to find the color just past peak along the North Yuba River and spent bigleaf maple leaves washed onto its banks.
He noted that a few bigleaf maples persist in speckling the forest with yellow, though it’s evident from his pictures that while the fly fishing is surely fun, fall color spotting is at the end of its run.
For the best fall color now in the northern Mother Lode, Philip recommends lower elevations along CA-49 on the drive to Downieville, the North Yuba River west of Downieville, at lower elevations along CA-49 and beside Lavezzola Creek, north of Downieville.
Downieville – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – Spots of bright color can still be seen near Downieville at the northern terminus of the Gold Country, though it is fading.
Leaf Cookies, Freeport Bakery, Sacramento (11/5/16) John Poimiroo
The most satisfying leaves of autumn are Leaf Cookies sold at the Freeport Bakery in Sacramento.
Buying a half-dozen of them has become a sure stop on a routine fall color drive that I take each November along the American River to Sacramento and back.
Mormon Island (11/5/16) John Poimiroo
Mormon Island (11/5/16) John Poimiroo
The drive begins in Folsom where Mormon Island Wetlands and the boulevards of Folsom are near peak. Frémont cottonwood at the wetlands preserve (part of Folsom Lake State Recreation Area) began showing yellow in September, though they still have lots of green, lime and fresh yellow in them.
Guarding Rooster, Fair Oaks (11/5/16) John Poimiroo
Posing Rooster, Fair Oaks (11/5/16) John Poimiroo
Plaza Park, Fair Oaks (11/5/16) John Poimiroo
Continuing west on US 50, I exit at Sunrise Blvd. for a visit to downtown Fair Oaks where, near Plaza Park, roosters hold court, crowing, scratching and otherwise guarding their turf.
The roosters are part of the charm of Fair Oaks, a rural town that is now surrounded by suburbia and has become an oasis of authentic shops, cafes and restaurants.
Strutting Rooster, Fair Oaks (11/5/16) John Poimiroo
Curious Rooster, Fair Oaks (11/5/16) John Poimiroo
Seeing Red Rooster, Fair Oaks (11/5/16) John Poimiroo
Returning to US 50 and traveling on to Sacramento, I exit and tour “the 40s,” Sacramento’s tony residential area, so named because it is comprised of avenues numbered in the 40s.
16th Avenue, Sacramento (11/5/16) John Poimiroo
41st Avenue, Sacramento (11/5/16) John Poimiroo
Along the avenues, leaves that have fallen from the capital city’s towering London planetrees are blown into piles to be scooped up by city street cleaners and taken away.
London planetrees are a variety of sycamore. Their leaves are a mix of chartreuse and orange-brown. Presently, they’re near peak.
Sacramento prides itself as a city of trees and nowhere is that more evident than at William Land Park, south of downtown or on the drive into Sacramento International Airport, where trees are planted by species in a grand arboretum that leads to the airport’s terminals.
No wonder, Leaf Cookies are so popular in Sacramento.
American River and Sacramento – Near Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! –
As color descends throughout California, the bold stands of aspen have disappeared. The last remaining big show are the black oak, which continue to show orange color at elevations below 3,000′.
Oregon splitleaf birch (11/2/16) John Poimiroo
Pacific dogwood (11/2/16) John Poimiroo
Color spotters turn to California’s urban forests for bright color, as I did this past week in my garden in El Dorado Hills (800′).
Chinese pistache (11/2/16) John Poimiroo
Chinese pistache (11/2/16) John Poimiroo
There, Eastern redbud, Pacific dogwood, breeze-brushed Oregon splitleaf birch and Chinese pistache were backlit and beautiful.
Today, I head out on a search for more exotics showing color in Sacramento’s urban forest.
California’s Urban Forests – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
[wunderground location=”El Dorado Hills, CA” numdays=”4″ showdata=”daynames,icon,date,conditions,highlow” layout=”simple”]
Calaveras Big Trees State Park (10/22/16) Jeff Hemming
Calaveras Big Trees State Park (10/22/16) Jeff Hemming
Color spotter Jeff Hemming spent Saturday in Calaveras Big Trees, North Grove. He reports “Lots of small pockets of color. Lots of red, but still some yellow.”
The forest floor sparkles with stunted rose, orange, pink and lime dogwoods.
Though he cautions, “Might not last much longer, especially if its supposed to rain this next week.”
Calaveras Big Trees State Park (4,800′) – Peak (75-100%) 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 Poimiroo2016-10-23 23:38:592017-07-21 10:26:47Calaveras Big Trees Goin' Big in Small Ways
Sardine Lake, Sierra Buttes, Downieville (10/19/16) Philip Reedy
Lavezzola Creek, Downieville (10/19/16) Philip Reedy
Yuba National Forest, Downieville (10/19/16) Philip Reedy
So few photographers and color spotters travel CA-49 to its northern terminus, that until today, CaliforniaFallColor.com had never gotten a report from Downieville.
Color spotter Philip Reedy corrected that omission with a first report of yellow bigleaf maple and rust and gold willows appearing at points along the northern Gold Country highway.
Phil noted that while the color is still Patchy, nice color can be found in the Yuba National forest beside Lavezzola Creeks, north of Downieville and at Sardine Lake.
Downieville (CA-49) (2,966′) – Patchy (10-50%)
Lavezzola Creek, Downieville (10/19/16) Philip Reedy
In December, California’s trees shift from being decorated with colorful leaves to holiday lights.
On this foggy, December night, the last remaining yellow and orange leaves on a blue oak in my yard were lit by flood light.
They glowed as bright as any Christmas tree, reminding me that though holiday displays are dazzling, hopeful and cheerful, even the best of them barely compare to the show we witnessed this autumn..
While shoppers are lined up at big box stores looking for deals on Black Friday, color spotters are out finding fall color on this Orange Friday.
I found it along historic Folsom’s Sutter Street where ginkgo biloba are painted yellow, orange and green.
Santhakumar VA found it at Far Niente Winery in Oakville where ginkgos are heavy with gold and orange leaves and vines are ruby, orange and gold.
Santha had visited the Napa Valley last week. He reports that while leaves are falling, there are so many on the vines and trees, that the show still goes on.
Similarly, Jennifer Mellone sends photos taken of the Bennett Valley and Dry Creek wine regions of Sonoma County where vines are boldly colored and birds are feasting in the vineyards.
Color spotter Anirudh Natikar shares these images of the landscaped color to be seen along Paseo Santa Cruz, near Valley Avenue in Pleasanton, where hot orange, deep red, and fluorescent yellow mix with green.
Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – All elevations below 1,000′
Dry Creek region, Sonoma County (11/27/15) Jennifer Mellone
Bennett Valley region, Sonoma County (11/28/15) Jennifer Mellone
Bennett Valley region, Sonoma County (11/28/15) Jennifer Mellone
Far Niente Winery, Oakville (11/26/15) Santhakumar V A
Far Niente Winery, Oakville (11/26/15) Santhakumar V A
With with the possible exceptions of The Deserts and Santa Catalina Island, it is now peaking at all California elevations below 2,000′.
Apple Hill (11/16/15) Sarah Showalter
Apple Hill in the Sierra foothills of El Dorado County are canopied with color, as spotters Vera Haranto Fuad and Sarah Showalter found when they visited this past week.
Historic photos taken by Linnea Wahamaki and Susan Taylor (posted to our Facebook site) show the beauty seen this month in Nevada City in the Gold Country and at McArthur-Burney Falls State Park in the Shasta Cascade.
Seen from 800′ in the Sierra foothills at El Dorado Hills, the Sacramento Valley is covered with broad spotches of red, orange and yellow fall color, like a Persian carpet that’s been cast across the valley floor.
Maple, Nevada City (11/5/15) Linnea Wahamaki
Maple, Nevada City (11/5/15) Linnea Wahamaki
McArthur-Burney Falls (11/14/15) Susan Taylor
Red oak, Citrus Heights (11/16/15) Sarah Showalter
Ginkgo biloba, Agoura (11/19/15) Kathy Jonokuchi
Blue oak, El Dorado Hills (11/21/15) John Poimiroo
Sarah Showalter’s photo of a red oak ablaze in Citrus Heights is typical of the color to be seen lined along boulevards in Folsom, Fair Oaks, Carmichael and Sacramento.
Japanese maple, Ironstone Vineyards, Murphys (11/22/15) Bonnie Nordby
Today, Bonnie Nordby strolled through a magical forest of crimson, yellow, orange and golden Japanese maple at the Ironstone Vineyards in Murphys, and sent us this snap.
From the Santa Clara Valley (Silicon), Jennifer “JMel” Mellone contributed photos taken in Campbell
Wherever you go, California’s many urban forests are on fire. Color spotter Kathy Jonokuchi sent snaps of garden color in Agoura and Nancy Wright of Murietta send added some of Pepper trees in Murietta (both in Southern California), where exotic trees will continue to provide fall color (weather permitting) through the Thanksgiving Day weekend.
However, from Plumas County, color spotter Jeff Luke Titcomb is almost longing in expressing that the fall color there has descended to the river bottoms. His brooding image of smoke rising through a forest of pine and black oak whose last remaining leaves cling weakly to spindly branches, is a nostalgic reminder that 2015’s autumn show has only days remaining.
Liquidambar, Campbell (11/22/15) Jennifer Mellone
Ginkgo biloba, Campbell (11/22/15) Jennifer Mellone
Pepper, Campbell (11/22/15) Jennifer Mellone
Pepper, Murietta (11/22/15) Nancy Wright
Pepper, Murietta (11/22/15) Nancy Wright
Black oak, Plumas County (11/22/15) Jeff Luke Titcomb
Elm, Southside Park, Sacramento (11/15/15) Jim Adams
Folks heading home for the holidays should see lots of fall color in yards and urban forests, as this sampling taken by color spotters across California attests.
Ginkgo biloba, Southside Park, Sacramento (11/15/15) Jim Adams
Maple, Southside Park, Sacramento (11/15/15) Jim Adams
Southside Park, Sacramento (11/15/15) Jim Adams
Southside Park, Sacramento (11/15/15) Jim Adams
Southside Park, Sacramento (11/15/15) Jim Adams
Southside Park, Sacramento (11/15/15) Jim Adams
Jim Adams went out this week to capture glorious golden ginkgos and colossal claret-colored liquidambar along the boulevards of Sacramento’s Southside Park. Our state’s capital is a sight to behold in autumn when towering London Plane, Elm, Sycamore and trees of every imaginable variety, planted decades ago to shade the city from scorching summer heat, turn red-hot as Thanksgiving Day approaches.
Los Gatos (11/15/15) Anson Davalos
Los Gatos (11/15/15) Anson Davalos
Los Gatos (11/15/15) Anson Davalos
In the Santa Clara Valley (AKA Silicon), Anson Davalos found Los Gatos streets arched with rufous arbors.
Heavenly bamboo, Murietta (11/15/15) Nancy Wright
Liquidambar, Murietta (11/15/15) Nancy Wright
Murietta (11/15/15) Nancy Wright
And, near Riverside, Nancy Wright drove through Murietta to find heavenly bamboo and liquidambar brightening the southland.
What makes California fall color so different from other areas on the continent is that our Mediterranean climate allows many varieties of exotic deciduous trees to flourish. That doesn’t happen elsewhere in North America. And, that means we get a flush of brilliant color in our gardens, arboretums and urban forests that is incomparable.
Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – California’s Urban Forests
http://www.californiafallcolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-1.png00John Poimiroohttp://www.californiafallcolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-1.pngJohn Poimiroo2015-11-19 11:59:482015-11-19 11:59:48Fall Color for the Holidays
Frémont Cottonwood and Valley oak leaves, Mormon Island Wetlands State Park (11/16/15) John Poimiroo
Mormon Island Wetlands State Park (11/16/15) John Poimiroo
Mormon Island Wetlands State Park (11/16/15) John Poimiroo
Folsom, Calif. has 34 miles of bike and pedestrian trails, many of which pass through and near urban forests and natural wetlands that are now peaking with fall color.
At Mormon Island Wetlands State Park, within the city limits, a golden crest shades the forest floor which is littered with golden Frémont cottonwood and valley oak leaves.
Or, roll your bike along any of Folsom’s separated bike trails that pass ponds, creeks and woodlands alive with color. Folsom’s city streets are also full of bright yellow and red landscaped trees.
http://www.californiafallcolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-1.png00John Poimiroohttp://www.californiafallcolor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/logo-1.pngJohn Poimiroo2015-11-16 16:05:012017-10-24 11:06:21Ride a Bike to Fall Color in Folsom
