Ahead of Schedule: Trees in Early Autumn Splendor

Does it seem to you like the fall colours are a little more vivid this year? I think they are. There are many factors involved in making fall colour happen from soil type, moisture at the right time, warm days, cool nights, and the time of season of course. This year, I think the fall colour started early because it was slightly dry or because June was so hot and chronologically the age of the leaves was advanced. Although it is just a theory, I’m not certain of that one.

Travelling home from the nursery, I’ve noticed the best fall colours are from Kleefeld to Grunthal area. The woods are just full of oranges, golds, yellows and reds. Most of the red tones are near the bottom where the Nannyberry is one of the deep reds. Chokecherries can be pink, to orange, to red. Cranberries are also in the orange to red as are Arrowwood, wild roses and plums. The Gray dogwoods as well as Red Osier here are into the purplish or burgundy reds. This year it seems like cottonwoods and the poplars wanted in on the action and are not only yellow but often in an orange tone. For the most part, the Manitoba Maples seem to be disheveling, but the Green Ash and Black Ash are definitely into the golden-yellow spectrum. Oaks are also shading into their traditional antique gold, while many poplars and cottonwoods are putting on a pretty nice show of yellow gold. We’re fortunate to not have killing frost so far as that would definitely curl some of the leaves. The winds have not been too crazy either to blow the leaves off in a hurry. I hope you can enjoy all these tones and colours as you take a note while driving. This is a beautiful time of year. I love spring because the flowers come out and some of the trees are blooming. But at this time of year, all the trees colour up to something.

Some of the colours you’ll be seeing in town would be the Ohio Buckeye and its gold- orange to red colours, Amur Maples doing their fire engine red. The elms, birch and Autumn Blaze Maples will soon be showing their stuff too. It’s a great time to thank God for his creative beauty and diversity.