Fall color at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Arcadia continues to peak, as photos taken today by color spotter Frank McDonough establish.
Frank reports that ginkgos, crepe myrtles and Japanese maples, “are still showing great displays of fall color.”
Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – All Sea Level Areas of California – Remain at peak or are nearing past peak, with bold splashes of orange and yellow still evident throughout California.
Ginkgo biloba, LA County Arboretum (12/9/15) Frank McDonough
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Nanday Conure in Sycamore (11/28/15) Kathy Jonokuchi
As leaves fall from deciduous trees, flocks of exotic parrots become visible at points along the California coast.
While their loud screeching may be heard at other times of year, many of the parrots are seen infrequently, as their yellow-green feathers camouflage them in the foliage. That is, until late autumn.
The flocks likely started from a few pet birds that escaped or were released by owners, and who now number several hundred. Thirteen species of South American, African and Asian parrots have become naturalized in California and are becoming a seasonal attraction.
The most famous of them (visible year round) are San Francisco’s “Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill,” a mix of cherry-headed conures, that were chronicled in an award-winning documentary of the same name (seen below).
In Los Angeles County, black-hooded parakeets (Nanday Conures) flock together during the late days of autumn where they feed from western San Bernardino County west to Malibu on liquidambar and sycamore seed pods and king palm seeds.
The annual reappearance of a flock of Nandays, known as the Pasadena Parrots, are a colorful herald to preparations for the town’s Tournament of Roses celebrations.
Southern California color spotter Kathy Jonokuchi captured one such group of black-hooded parakeets squawking while roosting in a sycamore tree (seen above).
CLICK HERE to read more about California’s parrots.
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Undisclosed Colorful Locale in Los Angeles (11/23/15) LA Leaf Peeper
Los Angeles color spotter “LA Leaf Peeper” (actual name withheld to prevent paparazzi from hounding this celebrity), reports that fall color is now “going to town” throughout the City of Angels.
LA Leaf Peeper has been the first anywhere in California to report fall color for the past two years and though this LA “star’s” reports are few, they include insights to the status of fall color in tinseltown.
We’re sure Extra, Inside Edition, the National Enquirer or TMZ will want to know that turned leaves are still hanging from the early-showing liquidambar that LA Leaf Peeper alerted us to in August. Though now, all LA’s deciduous trees are lit up brighter than the red carpet at the Dolby Theater on Oscar night.
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Crepe Myrtle, LACArboretum (11/21/15) Frank McDonough
Sweet gum, red maple, Chinese tallow and San Gabriel Mountains, LAC Arboretum (11/22/15) Frank McDonough
Birch, LAC Arboretum (11/22/15) Frank McDonough
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve mislabeled or just didn’t know what kind of tree appears in one of the photos posted on this site.
That’s why I enjoy visiting arboretums. At arboretums, trees are well-marked. The ones in nature don’t have a plaque at the base of their trunks with their common and latin names engraved on it. At an arboretum, they do.
I own several plant identification books, but visiting an arboretum shows me what the tree will really look like when it’s fully grown. “So, that’s what it means to be 70′ tall,” I’ve muttered to myself while looking at a tree I’d mistakenly thought would be right for my yard.
For anyone who loves trees, their great size, the beauty of their heavy, twisted branches, or how mature trees attract us to them, visiting an arboretum is endlessly fascinating.
California fan palm and ash, LAC Arboretum (11/22/15) Frank McDonough
Chinese tallow, LAC Arboretum (11/22/15) Frank McDonough
This week is the week to visit California’s arboretums. Their associated botanic gardens are mostly dormant, but the arboretums are full of color.
Frank McDonough reports the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden in Arcadia is nearing peak and should be prime for the next two weeks.
Seen among his photographs are delicately stemmed crepe myrtle, a variety of colorful trees taken from Myberg Falls toward the San Gabriel Mountains, birch draping a garden path, a California fan palm beside full peak ash, and Chinese tallow (also known as the Florida aspen).
California has nearly 20 arboretums, in nearly every corner of the state. All are beautiful places to find solace and to learn more about the native and exotic trees growing throughout our state. CLICK HERE for a list of them.
Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW! – Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
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
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Weekend reports from color spotters show fall color going big across Southern California.
Lake Gregory Waterslides (11/14/15) Alena Nicholas
Alena Nicholas sent pictures from Rim of the World, Lake Gregory, Seely Creek, Green Valley and Deep Creek in the San Bernardino Mountains with deep orange color within forests of black oak.
Seely Creek (11/14/15) Alena Nicholas
Even a few dogwood, that have been sheltered from the weather, are still carrying rose and lime confetti.
Lone Pine Cnyn, Wrightwood (11/14/15) Frank McDonough
Frank McDonough sends back this shot of Lone Pine Canyon near Wrightwood, spiking hot, and at his home base in Arcadia, hickory and maple are alive with color at the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden.
Jim Beaux took his annual trip to Mt. Palomar in San Diego County on Saturday, Nov. 14 and reported black oaks and bracken fern as being past peak.
A small grove of dogwood on the lower end of the Chimney Flats trail were Near Peak.
Mt. Palomar (11/14/15) Jim Beaux
Jim blames the poor color on the drought and windstorms that have blown thru the area over the last couple of weeks.
He’s seen similar dryness at Dogwood Campground near Lake Arrowhead.
Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – San Bernardino Mountains (Lake Gregory, Rim of the World, Seely Creek, Green Valley, Deep Creek)
Peak (75-100%) GO NOW! – Wrightwood
Past Peak YOU MISSED IT! – Mt. Palomar
Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW! – Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Deep Creek (11/14/15) Alena Nicholas
Deep Creek (11/14/15) Alena Nicholas
Green Valley (11/14/15) Alena Nicholas
Green Valley (11/14/15) Alena Nicholas
Lake Gregory (11/14/15) Alena Nicholas
Seely Creek (11/14/15) Alena Nicholas
Rim of the World (11/14/15) Alena Nicholas
Seely Creek (11/14/15) Alena Nicholas
Black oak, Seely Creek (11/14/15) Alena Nicholas
Shagbark Hickory, LA County Arboretum (11/14/15) Frank McDonough
Freeman’s Maple, LA County Arboretum (11/14/15) Frank McDonough
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A sure sign that Thanksgiving Day is approaching is when Frank McDonough of the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Gardens in Arcadia starts sending photos of the arboretum’s grounds.
Looks like I better go order a turkey.
Frank reports it’s still early, though fall color is about 20% there, with developing reds and yellows.
The arboretum is a bellweather of approaching color in Southern California’s gardens and urban forests, and a great place for an autumn stroll.
From the looks of the garden, it’s colorful now, though will be close to perfect near Thanksgiving Day and beyond.
That means there’ll be lots of autumn color in the southland to add autumn color and mood to Thanksgiving Day festivities.
Patchy (10-50%) – Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Gardens
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November is the month for California’s urban forests, arboretums and botanic gardens to peak. Foliage at the LA County Arboretum & Botanic Garden hasn’t forgotten.
Color spotter Frank McDonough sends these shots of early color showing at the Arboretum.
Just Starting (0-10%) – LA County Arboretum & Gardens
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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!
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