Native Fall Foliage - Orange/Red/Purple

The red leaves of autumn complete the pleasing trio of colors that humans seem to prefer: green (the evergreens), yellow and red.  Last week I talked about Yellow fall foliage - a group which ended up being quite big!  However I think that this group - the trees with predictable orange, red or purple foliage - is probably the one that gets the most attention.  The arrival of fall color predictably raises the general interest in trees like Sassafras and Sugar Maples.  In fact, nurseries should just plan to stock those in the fall.

Parsley hawthorn, Crataegus marshallii

As I said before, there is a lot of variation in fall color even for the same type of plant. For example, the Parsley hawthorn leaves shown above were the only two red ones I ever found; the rest of the leaves turned yellow. Differences can be attributed to many factors (and here is an excellent site to explain it):

• Individual plant differences: This is how cultivars are developed. Acer rubrum 'October Glory' was a single plant that was selected for dependably rich red color in the fall.

• Climate differences: Was it wetter than usual, drier than usual, cooler or warmer than usual where this plant resides in the days leading up to autumn?

• Different locations: Some trees change color earlier in one location than another even when they are just a few miles apart.

Most people have learned at some point that chlorophyll is what makes leaves green. It is when trees stop producing chlorophyll that the "true" colors come out. Different trees have different amounts of the components that make the different fall colors: Carotenoids - Browns, yellows and oranges and Anthocyanins - reds and purples. So given those all those explanations, here are the “usual” oranges, reds and purples that I can expect to see in my area, starting with orange:

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is a predictable orange fall color tree, but there's a new kid on the block when it comes to screaming orange maples: Freeman hybrids whose parents are Red maple (Acer rubrum) and Silver maple (Acer saccharinum).  Names like Acer x freemanii 'Autumn Blaze' are apt indeed:

Acer x freemanii

Silver maple parentage shows in the leaves

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) is another head turner. The bright orange leaves droop in the fall, making the tree rather distinctive (for me anyway) even when spotting it on the side of the road.  The leaves are also unique in shape - the number of lobes on the leaf can vary: no lobes, one lobe or two:

Notice the leaf on the left has no lobes

Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.) has variable color but I think that orange is the most likely color that I see.  Sometimes you can find good red color as well.  Another orange/red highlight on the side of the road is Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), flaming up the side of trees here and there. This one has a bit of yellow:

Amelanchier arborea

Poison ivy, Toxicodendron radicans

I could save the best of the reds for last, but I think I'll show you the best first.  This is a Scarlet oak (Quercus coccineus) that is across the street from my house.  It turns red very late in the year (this picture is from an earlier year, it is still fully green right now) but the wait is worth it.  Notice how much more vibrant it is from the other trees around it.  I was thrilled to finally get some acorns from it this year - I have planted them in my yard (hope the squirrels don't find them).  The nice thing about Quercus coccineus is that it is also a fairly fast growing oak. 

Scarlet oak, Quercus coccineus

Red oak (Quercus rubra) has good color as well and I always enjoy spotting it.  If you want to see what the acorns look like, take a look at my post from last fall about acorns.  While it is early in the year for these leaves to change color, I found several examples near my house this year already:

Quercus rubra

Red oak, Quercus rubra

Black gum (Nyssa sylvatica) is a fairly modest tree until the red comes out.  Then people notice it.  The picture on the left below was in a business area - amazing, clear red.  I think it is probably a cultivar, perhaps 'Wildfire'. Wild trees are a little more variable, but I could not resist this picture of the changing leaves with the dark blue berries still present:

Nyssa sylvatica

Nyssa sylvatica

Another surprising tree with consistently good red color is Cornus florida, Flowering dogwood.  Here is a picture showing the good form of the tree and another showing the berries (a nice contrast):

Cornus florida

Cornus florida

Winged sumac (Rhus copallinum) with Persimmon (yellow)

Chances are you've seen sumac (Rhus spp.) growing on the side of the road.  With strong red color and large red fruit clusters, it is hard to miss.  We have at least two kinds near me.  I have Winged sumac (Rhus copallinum) in my own yard (this picture) and there is Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) on the roadsides nearby. 


Red maple (Acer rubrum) around my house turns yellow except for one tree in the front of the house that turns mostly red.  They are all wild trees.  It very variable and that is why I put it in as both yellow and red!  Predictable red color can be found in cultivars like 'October Glory'.

Red maple, Acer rubrum

Virginia creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia

Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), shown above, is another vine that has great fall color - even more predictable than poison ivy!  This one you will also see climbing trees on the side of the road.


Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum) has a range of colors - I've seen pale yellow, orange (mixture of yellow and pink), pink, fuschia, almost purple.

Oxydendrum arboreum

Oxydendrum arboreum

Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) is the only tree that I have that truly turns purple, but the coolest thing about Sweetgum leaves is that they come in so many colors on the same tree!  This picture does not do it justice, but perhaps it will give you an idea of what to look for on the roadsides this fall.

Liquidambar styraciflua

Sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua

Native Fall Foliage - Yellow

Fall color is spreading in my area.  What a beautiful sight - it is almost as if the trees were flowering again.  Generally the colors of tree foliage fall into 2 color groups: yellow and orange/red/purple.  I've decided to do one blog entry devoted to each group.  This entry is Yellow.

A southern form of Sugar Maple, perhaps Acer barbatum

Of course there is a lot of variation in fall color even for the same type of plant.  For example, I've seen Red Maples (Acer rubrum) that turn yellow, others that turn orange/red, and others that turn red/pink.  These differences can be attributed to many factors (and here is an excellent site to explain it):

• Individual plant differences:  This is how cultivars are developed.  Acer rubrum 'October Glory' was a single plant that was selected for dependably rich red color in the fall.

• Climate differences:  Was it wetter than usual, drier than usual, cooler or warmer than usual where this plant resides in the days leading up to autumn?

• Different locations: Some trees change color earlier in one location than another even when they are just a few miles apart.

Most people have learned at some point that chlorophyll is what makes leaves green.  It is when trees stop producing chlorophyll that the "true" colors come out.  Different trees have different amounts of the components that make the different fall colors: Carotenoids - Browns, yellows and oranges and Anthocyanins  - reds and purples. So given those all those explanations, here are the “usual” yellows that I can expect to see in my area:

Two maples here, one is Red maple which often turns yellow in the wild, but sometimes turns orange/red.   There are maple cultivars and hybrids that reliably turn red or orange.  If what you are seeing is a landscape plant (like in a parking lot or business/residence landscape), chances are it is a cultivar and the color would not be yellow.

Southern sugar maple has the leaf shape of a Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) but the color is a pure, deep yellow while Sugar maple turns yellow/orange.  Another local maple is Chalk maple (Acer leucoderme) which has a similar leaf, but it turns more orange/red in color.  The leaf of the Chalk maple usually is pubescent (has fine hairs, feels fuzzy) on the underside.

Red Maple, Acer rubrum

Southern Sugar Maple, Acer barbatum

Black cherry, Prunus serotina

Persimmon, Diospyros virginiana

The next pair of leaves look similar at first glance, both turn a soft yellow and have a similar elliptical shape, but the cherry has a toothed margin where the persimmon does not.









I spent several days this week looking around my yard and neighborhood for leaves to photograph.  Now that the leaves are changing color, it was a shock to realize just how many young persimmons I have.  I know there are fruiting persimmons in my neighborhood (you can see a picture of the fruit in one of my posts from last year), but I've never seen fruit on mine.  Only one of mine ever blooms (the others are too young perhaps), and it would need to be a female to set fruit and would need a male nearby for pollination.

Tuliptree, Liriodendron tulipifera

Muscadine grape, Vitis rotundifolia

Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera) is generally very boring when it comes to fall color.  Leaves drop early in the year so that by the time fall color season arrives half the leaves on the tree are gone and the rest turn a spotted yellow, a few at a time.






Muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia) is a plant not much noticed throughout the year, but when the leaves turn yellow - often in advance of neighboring plants - it shows up.  It is especially noticeable twining through pine trees because the yellow foliage just pops out of the green branches.

Bottlebrush buckeye, Aesculus parviflora

Pawpaw, Asimina triloba

Buckeyes (Aesculus spp.) also lose their leaves early in the year - I was hard pressed to find an example of these compound leaves that still have the original 5 leaflets attached on a group of leaves.  Sometimes the color is more soft orange than yellow.









The large, tropical-looking leaves of Paw Paw Asimina triloba) quickly fall off once the leaves turn yellow.










Musclewood's (Carpinus caroliniana) petite, toothed leaves and thin branches are easily confused with Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana).  The fall color doesn't offer any better clues - they both turn this nice shade of yellow.


Redbud's heart shaped leaves are very distinctive but unfortunately the fall color is not.  While much favored for it's early purple blooms in the spring, the yellow, spotted fall leaves are nothing to comment on.  This is a picture from my 'Forest Pansy' cultivar (Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy') - I'm not sure if that orange color is attributed to the cultivar, but it is certainly is an improvement over most wild plants.

Musclewood, Carpinus caroliniana

Redbud, Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy'

Compound leaves often confuse people in the fall because the leaflets can fall off in advance of the leaf itself, making it look like the leaflets are indeed true leaves.  Green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) and Hickory are two of the ones I show here.  The ash leaf turns a pale yellow while the Hickory (Carya spp.) is a deep, almost orange-yellow color.  Hickories can be tall trees - they are quite striking when the whole tree colors up.  Around here, they are an essential part of the yellow-red-green landscape that people think of in the fall.

Green ash, Fraxinus pennsylvanica

Hickory, Carya sp.

Other native trees around here with compound leaves that turn yellow are pecan (Carya illinoinensis) and walnut (Juglans spp.).

Bigleaf magnolia, Magnolia macrophylla

American beech, Fagus grandifolia

The deciduous magnolias are especially noticeable this time of year, particularly the large leaves of this Bigleaf magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla). The shorter tree with the darker colored leaves to the right is Umbrella magnolia (Magnolia tripetala).  









American beech turns briefly yellow then transitions to a soft caramel color.  Young trees will retain their leaves during the winter and the leaves will fade to a pale tan, almost the color of old lace.













Other leaves that turn yellow/brown in the fall (and which are not pictured here) include:

• Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)
• Some oaks like Post oak (Quercus stellata) and Water oak (Quercus nigra)
• Mulberry (Morus rubra)
• Sugarberry/Hackberry (Celtis spp.)
• American smoketree (Cotinus obovatus)

and sometimes Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), but it also turns purple so I'll show that in the next post.  Next week I'll go through all the ones that turn orange, red, pink and purple.

Georgia Plants by Name

I am enjoying the blooms of my Georgia Aster this week - the large purple flowers have escaped the notice of the local deer and are creating a beautiful display on the side yard.  Georgia Aster is now called Symphyotrichum georgianum, a mouthful of a name.  Named for being found in Georgia, it is also found in several other southeastern states.

Symphyotrichum georgianum

I know very few people that have not fallen in love with this plant the moment they saw it.  It has larger flowers than most asters, and it's particular shade of purple is especially nice.  In addition, the centers of the flower turn dark purple with age, while most asters retain a yellow center.  The darkened center comes from the opening of the disk flowers - the buds of the disk flowers are pale when they are closed.  You can see the difference in the picture below.  Compare that to the center of the flowers in the picture above.

Georgia Aster with unopened disk flowers

You can also compare the difference in the disk flowers with other asters in the picture below - that picture shows a Georgia Aster flower above a flower of Aster patens (Symphyotrichum patens). They look nice together and grow naturally in the same areas.

Georgia Aster (top and right) with Aster patens

This is a flower worth waiting for!  I think that the rough texture of the leaves of both types of asters helps keep them safe from the deer.  Asters with more tender foliage are not so lucky.

The name of this plant got me to thinking about what other plants might share the trait of having the species name (in botanical names the first name is the genus and the second name is the species) reflect the fact that they were found in Georgia.  Luckily the search capability in the USDA Plants Database let's me easily look that up.  Here is what I found:

Georgia Aster: Symphyotrichum georgianum

Georgia savory: Clinopodium georgianum

Georgia oak: Quercus georgiana

Georgia false indigo: Amorpha georgiana

Georgia rockcress: Arabis georgiana

Georgia frostweed: Helianthemum georgianum

Georgia quillwort: Isoetes georgiana

Georgia rush: Juncus georgianus

Georgia beargrass: Nolina georgiana

Georgia bulrush: Scirpus georgianus

Slenderfruit nutrush: Scleria georgiana

Smallflower phacelia: Phacelia dubia var. georgiana

Ironweed hybrid: Vernonia ×georgiana

Clinopodium georgianum

Of all these plants, I grow only the first three.  Georgia Savory (Clinopodium georgianum) is a plant that is blooming now as well.  It is considered a small shrub and grows well in sunny, dry conditions (not unlike Georgia Aster).  It has tiny pink flowers and aromatic foliage.

Georgia Oak (Quercus georgiana) grows in a few counties in Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama.  It is found naturally around Stone Mountain, GA but seems happy to be relocated elsewhere. For a while the Georgia Forestry Commission grew it as part of their seedling program.  We handed out seedlings at my local elementary school for Arbor Day one year ... so hopefully dozens and dozens of them are now growing in the area around me.  I do have one in my yard from that event.  It is a member of the red oak group, so the petite lobed leaves have tiny bristle tips and it has pretty good fall color.

Some plants have lost their original "Georgia" name as they were consolidated with other species: Crataegus georgiana (a Hawthorn) is now considered Crataegus pruinosa, and Hymenocallis georgiana (Spider lily) is now Hymenocallis caroliniana.

I am proud of these "homegrown" plants and look forward to discovering more of them as time goes by.

Go for Goldenrod!

This is a good time of year to appreciate the flowers of goldenrod.  Goldenrod is the common name for plants in the genus Solidago, a group of perennials that bloom in late summer or fall throughout Georgia. Most people only see them as flowers on the side of the road, but keen gardeners recognize them for their value in the fall garden.

If anyone is still under the impression that goldenrod causes allergies, let me assure you that is not true, and there is a perfectly good scientific reason why. With that misunderstanding out of the way, we can now enjoy this plant for its many good qualities.

Thirty five (35) species of Solidago are found throughout Georgia – from the Blue Ridge to the Piedmont, then south to the Coastal Plain and west to our borders with Florida and Alabama.  Some goldenrods have very specific habitats and their name reflects that: Seaside goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens), Pine barren goldenrod (Solidago fistulosa).  Our most recognizable one, thanks to its aggressive roadside nature, is simply known as “tall” goldenrod: Solidago altissima.

Solidago altissima

Not all goldenrods are aggressive – that is another myth to dispel.  Aggressive goldenrods have rhizomatous roots, and Solidago altissima is one such species.  Other goldenrods do not spread by roots and are considered “clump forming”.  As with any plant that you consider adopting, research carefully the growth characteristics of the species to determine if the plant is a good fit for your location.

A wand-shaped inflorescence

Recognizing or identifying the different species of goldenrod can be a challenge.  Using the shape of the inflorescence is one key identifier.  The shapes fall into the following rough groups: a plume-like arrangement (tall goldenrod has this), an elm-branched arrangement, a club- or wand-shaped arrangement, and a flat-topped arrangement.  If you are using Weakley’s Flora, be advised that he uses five keys to separate them and information about the leaves is needed to choose the right key (so be sure to make note of the leaf characteristics).  He also makes a distinction as to whether the inflorescence is secund or non-secund (and other keys do as well).  Secund is defined as “arranged on one side only”.  Solidago sphacelata is a good example of a secund arrangement (and I'm still trying to figure out that non-secund guy on the right!).

Secund

Non-secund

Identification of goldenrod in the wild, like many plants, is hampered by natural forces that cause plants and blooms to be shaped "imperfectly". I've got tall goldenrod (S. altissima)

Solidago nemoralis

that is less than 2 feet tall because the deer keep trimming it down.  That plant will be shorter than defined for that species and the blooms will likely be irregularly shaped.  On the other hand, I recently figured out that I have a species of shorter goldenrod - Solidago nemoralis.  That species will never be tall, it has basal leaves, secund blooms, and the leaves are quite differently shaped - all factors that would quickly distinguish it from tall goldenrod.

Yet until this year, I just assumed it was short occurrences of the other!  Sometimes you just don't see the differences until you are ready to look for them.

Goldenrod has been getting more attention lately for its benefits to wildlife. Anyone that has observed it for just a few minutes can see that pollinators flock to it.  Bees, wasps, beetles, flies and butterflies are attracted to the bright yellow blooms, a signal that pollen and nectar await them.  Butterflies also lay eggs on the leaves - it is host to over 120 different species of insects in this regard.  In the fall, puffy seed heads are relished by small birds like goldfinches that easily perch on the sturdy stems to eat them.

Early plant explorers sent seeds and roots of goldenrod from North America back to Europe for cultivation and European gardens have used these North American native perennials since then.  Goldenrod is also a popular flower in professional floral arrangements.  With proper selection and siting, it can be a bright addition in your garden as well.  Here are a few recommendations for goldenrod species and cultivars that are generally available at nurseries or native plant sales:

Part-shade species:

Blue-stem goldenrod, Solidago caesia (clump-forming)

Zig-zag goldenrod, Solidago flexicaulis (rhizomatous)

White goldenrod, Solidago bicolor (clump-forming)

Flowers in the leaf axils of Solidago caesia

Full-sun, clump-forming species:

Autumn goldenrod, Solidago sphacelata ('Golden Fleece' is almost a groundcover)
Showy goldenrod, Solidago speciosa
Wand goldenrod, Solidago stricta
Seaside goldenrod, Solidago sempervirens
Anise-scented goldenrod, Solidago odora
Gray goldenrod,  Solidago nemoralis

 Solidago sphacelata 'Golden Fleece'
Photo by L. Almand

Full-sun, rhizomatous (spreads by roots) species:

Rough-stem goldenrod, Solidago rugosa (the cultivar 'Fireworks' is very showy)
Tall goldenrod, Solidago altissima

 Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks' makes a spectacle of itself

I hope this has helped you see that goldenrod has much to offer.  Choosing to use it in your garden should be easy - just think of it's beauty, versatility, and value to wildlife.  So if you come upon one of these dependable perennials at a plant sale, be sure to "Go for the Goldenrod"!

Plant Communities

A native plant by itself is not a native plant; it is “a plant”.  Native plants live in natural communities that are defined by their location aspects such as elevation, landforms, moisture level, geological characteristics, soils and are even influenced by the hand of humans over the last centuries.  While we can and do enjoy them in our gardens, understanding and appreciating their role in a community is often the basis for becoming a better advocate for habitat conservation.

Magnolia grandiflora

Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) is an example of a plant that is native to the southeastern United States but which is used in landscapes in whatever areas are warm enough to support it.  I was recently vacationing in the San Francisco area and found it used quite often there.




I recently read Timothy Spira’s book “Wildflowers and Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont” and learned a lot about 21 different plant communities in this particular region (which includes Atlanta). I highly recommend the book and hope to present here some of the things that I learned from it. This is a recent book, published in early 2011.

The region covered in the book extends from northern Virginia, a sliver of West Virginia, a slightly larger sliver of Tennessee, most of North Carolina, South Carolina, the northern half of Georgia and a small area of east/central Alabama. The area known as the Coastal Plain (the eastern portions of Virginia, NC, SC and the southern half of Georgia in this case) is not included and has its own very unique and diverse plant communities.  This book covers the 21 major plant communities found in the southern Applachian mountain and piedmont regions of the southeastern United States.

Twenty-one sounds like a lot of unique communities, doesn’t it?  It can be a little simpler if I list the high level categories:

In the mountains there are 4 categories: High-elevation communities (6 of those), Low-elevation moist to wet communities (5), Low-elevation dry communities (2).  In the piedmont (the author reminds us that “piedmont” literally means “foot of the mountains” – I love that!) there 3 categories: Moist to wet communities (3), Dry communities (3), and Roadside and Field.

The book includes some beautiful pictures and in-depth plant profiles so that it also serves as a field guide.  Before one gets into descriptions of plants, however, the author lays the groundwork for understanding how these communities have come to be.  He provides good background on factors as far back as when and how the mountains formed as well as the role that climate played in altering habitats and allowing species to expand or contract their range.  More recent factors include the effects of human activities and invasive species.

This area of the United States is incredibly diverse – according to the author: “the southern Appalachians support more tree species than any other area of comparable size in North America”.  In general the area is considered to be a temperate deciduous forest – or would have been without human intervention.  There are some particular areas that are not a forest, and these areas serve to increase the diversity of the plants even more.

The picture here was taken on the Shirley Miller Wildflower Trail in the area known as The Pocket at Pigeon Mountain (Walker County, Georgia).  The trail winds through a rich cove forest community.

Ferns, Trillium and dwarf Iris cristata on the Shirley Miller Wildflower Trail

The details provided in the description of the region covered by the book are fascinating.  For example, the region has 3 national parks and 6 national forests; together these areas have the greatest concentration of public land in the eastern United States.  As you read more about the wonderful habitat these areas protect, one is grateful that these areas have been conserved.  However, as you may know, imported diseases have devastated many of the trees in the area: American chestnut (chestnut blight), Fraser fir (balsam woolly adelgid), and Canada and Carolina hemlocks (hemlock woolly adelgid) are once dominant tree species that have been or are in the process of being destroyed.  The plant communities with hemlocks (Tsuga spp.) are changing right before our eyes as the woolly adelgid spreads.  Our increased understanding of these communities affords us a chance to provide some measure of protection here and in yet unaffected areas as we recognize more the importance of conservation.

Ok, that pretty much covers Part 1 of the book.  The remaining parts are:

Part 2: a pictorial representation of each of the 21 communities.  These collections give you a preview of the plants you might find.  A sample group of plants is shown to represent each of the 21 communities:

Spruce-Fir Forest (Mountains)

Grassy Bald (Mountains)

Heath Bald (Mountains)

High-Elevation Rock Outcrop (Mountains)

High-Elevation Red Oak Forest (Mountains)

Northern Hardwood Forest (Mountains)

Rich Cove Forest (Mountains)

Acidic Cove Forest (Mountains)

Spray Cliff (Mountains)

Rocky Streamside (Mountains)

Mountain Bog (Mountains)

Chestnut Oak Forest (Mountains)

Pine-Oak-Heath (Mountains)

Forest Edge (Mountains)

River Bluff Forest (Piedmont)

Alluvial Forest (Piedmont)

Basic Mesic Forest (Piedmont)

Oak-Hickory Forest (Piedmont)

Xeric Hardpan Forest (Piedmont)

Granite Outcrop (Piedmont)

Roadside and Field (Piedmont)

The picture below is a "roadside and field" community near my house.  Roadsides can be tricky - sometimes they are full of invasive or naturalized plants - not natives much at all.  But this one is good: it has at least 3 different species of Eupatorium, at least 3 species of Goldenrod (Solidago), at least 3 species of grasses (and perhaps a couple of non-native ones), several different asters, blue curls (Trichostema dichotomum), and slender leaf false foxglove (Agalinis tenuifolia) - just discovered this morning! 

Part 3 provides detailed descriptions of each of the communities. These profiles include Distinguishing features, Vegetation overviews, Seasonal aspects, Distribution, Dynamics, Conservation aspects, Suggested reading references, and good lists of Trees, Shrubs, Herbaceous plants, and Rare plants.

Part 4 has detailed species profiles for the plants listed in Part 3. One feature that I particularly like is the “Ecology” section of the profile. This section provides some details not found in the usual plant guides.

The book finishes up with a Glossary, a list of recommended natural areas throughout the region (with descriptions of the exceptional features to be found in each), suggested books for further reading (which includes some of my favorites), an index of scientific names and a second index of common names.
 
The depth of information in this book is excellent, and it is presented at a level that can be used by all levels of naturalists.  Back to that Southern Magnolia - it's not listed in the book, by the way.  That plant is not indigenous (i.e., naturally found) in the Southern Appalachian Mountain or Piedmont communities.  You can expect to find it naturally in south Georgia - in the Coastal Plains communities.