Early Signs of Color Change
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.
LA Liquidambar Shines Again
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’s Best Outdoor Medium
CaliforniaFallColor.com was judged to be the Best Outdoor Medium in California for 2015 by the Outdoor Writers Association of California (OWAC).
Journalist members of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association judged the statewide competition for OWAC and credited CaliforniaFallColor for its comprehensive coverage of autumn across California, solid writing and reporting and the many spectacular images contributed by photographers from throughout the state.
Special thanks are expressed to our readers, sponsors and contributors who all share in this honor.
The Party’s Over
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.
California (Past Peak) – You Missed It!
LA County Arboretum Still Peaking
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!
New Spot: Death Valley Strikes Gold
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). ”
Look Down, Not Up
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.
Black Friday Colors Up in Berkeley
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.
Berkeley (Peak 75-100%) – UC Berkeley Botanic Garden is full of peak color. GO NOW!
Giving Thanks – California Fall Color
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.
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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!
Hike of the Week: Garden to Sky
Nick and Alena Barnhart’s report from Santa Catalina Island inspired us to recommend the Garden to Sky trail on Catalina Island for our Fall Color Hike of the Week.
This is an ideal trail for anyone with “only a little bit of time to explore the trails of Catalina,” states the Catalina Island Conservancy.
The Garden to Sky Hike starts at the Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden (admission required to the garden). From there, the Memorial Road “leads to the Divide Road, the first leg of the hike. It travels along a comfortable incline that leads to a spectacular views on both sides of the Island.”
Before beginning the hike, all hikers must obtain a hiking permit from the Conservancy Explore store in Avalon, at the Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden, Nature Center at Avalon Canyon, Airport in the Sky, Two Harbor Enterprises or online at the Catalina Island Conservancy website (see link below).
Hiking permits are required by the Catalina Island Conservancy for each hike into Catalina’s wildlands. They help locate hikers in the event of an emergency.
CLICK HERE to obtain a permit and for more information on Catalina Island hiking trails.