The deciduous trees still aren't showing much color but I found two exceptions.
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| The coral bark Japanese maple (Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku'), grown in a protected spot alongside our garage, is the only reliable provider of fall color I have |
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| The noID persimmon at the edge of my cutting garden didn't produce any fruit this year but it has a touch of fall color, which isn't always the case. A second persimmon tree on the other side of the fence has a little fruit but ugly brown leaves. |
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| This year Leptospermum 'Pink Pearl' is obscuring the persimmon's best side |
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| The persimmon doesn't look as impressive from this side, at least not yet |
In the absence of real fall color, we look to plants that can mimic it. Here's an example:
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| Graptoveria 'Fred Ives' has colored up nicely in the succulent garden on the south side of the house |
My neighbor's maples are just showing the first signs of changing color but I expect it could be Christmas before they're flashy enough to show off. I hope those of you in colder climates had a chance to enjoy the colors of fall before freezes hit or snow arrived. Best wishes to all of you in the US in the sights of the Nor-easter.
*A "marked decline" here means temperatures occasionally dipped into the 40s.
All material © 2012-2018 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
You do get a fair amount of color, the persimmon is pretty.
ReplyDeleteWe were surprised to get 5-6" of snow overnight, twice what was predicted. As it is still above freezing most days, it won't last, thankfully. I'm glad we didn't get ice or sleet, that is much worse. There is an old wives tale that states the date of the first storm indicates how many we will receive this winter. 16??? I certainly hope not!
I wonder how that old wive's tale got cemented into local mythology, Eliza? I suspect you could debunk it easilywith a check against recent history but, in any case, I hope your winter proves to be mild - 16 storms would be apocalyptic!
DeleteElsa, the diminutive crepe myrtle, is providing our only fall color.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize that you had a crepe myrtle or that her name was Elsa. In that I haven't heard of a cultivar with that name, I'm guessing you provided that as a memorial.
DeleteYour Coral Bark Maple is a beauty. Almost all of the leaves are off our trees. Some of the shrubs are still holding a few colorful leaves.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear your fall color has been stripped away so quickly, Lisa.
DeleteCoral bark maple and a persimmon?! Perfect treasures with or without color.
ReplyDeleteI adore Japanese maples but most don't look nearly as good here as they do in colder climates. However, the coral bark maple's sheltered placement has helped it shine even here. I'm hoping I can find a protected spot for another Japanese maple (or 2) next year.
DeleteLow temps in the 40’s? Honestly I’m shocked. That seems cold, for you, and only in November.
ReplyDeleteI went back and looked at a summary of our temperatures. While we did dip into the upper 40s a couple of times this month, most of our lows are still in the 50s and 60s. Anything below 60F feels like freezing to us!
Delete'Fred' makes up for the persimmon!
ReplyDelete'Fred' is fantastic!
DeleteWell your lovely acer is looking beautifully autumnal. Your persimmon tree is lovely too.
ReplyDeleteFall foliage color just isn't a "thing" here, Chloris. Sometimes we get more color in early winter but, even when that happens, it isn't much.
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