Early Signs
A report of early signs of color change from color spotter Hannah Meisner Bogdahn alerted us that something was happening in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
She was driving over Hwy 17 from San Jose to Santa Cruz, when she “was surprised by all the color change. Not sure if it was spurred by the heat wave/drought but “all the California Sycamores along the highway were changing, many past 50%. I was surprised as it seems like these (Western Sycamore) are usually much later than the rest of California’s color change.”
Hannah, was correct. Western Sycamore (Platanus racemosa) usually peak later along the coast, though there are several sycamore species in California and all grow in a broad range of zones: acerifolia (London Plane) – Zones 2 – 24; occidentalis (American) – Zones 1 – 24; racemosa (California) – Zones 2 – 24; and wrightii (Arizona) – Zones 10 – 12.
That day, as I drove through El Dorado Hills toward Folsom along Silva Valley Parkway, acerifolia (London Plane Trees) at 300′ elevation (Zone 9) were all at 10% change, but then they’ve had the habit of showing color change two months earlier than do their towering cousins that line avenues in Sacramento (Zone 8), 22 miles to their west at elevation 30′.
A few days later, Hannah corrected her report, sending the above image and saying that what she observed near Patchett Summit were more likely bigleaf maple. Their changing color in September would still be early, but not well outside their show.
As to the question of whether early signs of change means that autumn is arriving earlier than usual or whether one specie’s change is related to the eccentricities of local conditions, we think local conditions are more logical, as few other trees seem to be showing color at this point in September.
- Sycamore, El Dorado Hills (300′) – Just Starting (0 – 10%
