Late Summer Palette of My Backyard
The colors of my backyard are beginning to display a golden hue. Above, samaras on my Japanese red maple catch the late afternoon light.
Especially in the light of late sunset, the late summer palette is so warm and rich. Above, my dogwood.
The overall appearance of the dogwood tree from a distance is still green, but up close, many leaves have already changed. The tree is beginning to change color a full month earlier than in past years. I suppose this would have to do with the abundance of rain throughout the summer, and how relatively cool it’s been.
Above, a full shot of my purple leaf plum, taken this morning, especially for Allison, who posted a question about the plum on the Tree Grower’s Diary letters page. Note for scale: the treehouse is 10 feet tall, about the same height as the arborvitae to the left of the plum. How tall would you say the plum is then? 18 feet or so?
Many of the plum leaves are looking a little bit yellow right now.
But that’s really a function of where the leaves are inside the tree. The ones further inside get less light, are less likely to be purple, and more likely to be faded. In fall, some of those inside leaves turn a little bit yellow, but the yellow leaves are rare. For the most part, this tree doesn’t have a fall color change.
In the background of the outside purple leaves of my plum, the October Glory red maple has not begun to change color yet, though I do see a slight change at the top of the tree now — the topmost leaves are beginning to curl a bit, indicating the change is soon to come.
The Greenspire linden is also showing a little bit of early color.
Do you love fall colors as much as I do?
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My family calls me "the mamarazzi."
Hi
Thanks so much for the info on the thundercloud plum, I’m not sure what we will do with it, but for now it’s such a pleasant unexpected surprise (the plums)that I will just let it be; I had thought it to be a flowering only tree.
Again thanks so much
D.Jackson
[...] Late Summer Palette of My Backyard [...]
There is just something so peaceful about the turning of the leaves in the fall. You captured them beautifully!
Julie,
Wow.
Who knows what took me so long to get to your website
But now I don’t want to leave
What a trove of treasures
I’m sorry amazing is such an overused word
Because it’s the perfect word for this work
Thank you!
Love to you,
Myra
Yeah, fall seems to have started early this year. I’m in the western suburbs of Chicago and my Eastern Cottonwood is dropping tons of leaves already. The Cottonwood is 3 weeks ahead of schedule. My Ash trees and Amur Maple are showing some color change. Our summer has been really cool this year.
Julie I love your pictures, and I’ve learned a lot about trees from reading your blog.