Fall Color Report – Page 58 – California Fall Color

Onion Valley Was A Peeling

Quaking Aspen, Onion Valley Campground (9/7/20) Mohammad Delwar

Onion Valley in Inyo National Forest was appealing over the Labor Day Weekend when Mohammad Delwar visited.

Though, smoke from the Creek Fire – as seen in his photographs – was then beginning to suffocate the Eastern Sierra. The Inyo National Forest is now closed to public use. That limits public access throughout the Eastern Sierra.

Mammoth Lakes reports the following activities are now prohibited:

Camping in all public and private campgrounds as well as dispersed camping areas
Water activities (fishing, boating, kayaking, etc.)
Hiking and backpacking
Biking, including Mammoth Mountain Bike Park
Use of developed day-use areas, including picnic areas and beaches
Use of off-highway vehicles
Use of any ignition source (campfires, fire pits, stoves, etc.)

These closures are in effect until further notice in order to prioritize the safety of visitors, locals and fire personnel. Updates on reopening the forest will be posted when available. Here’s what the U.S. Forest Service is reporting.

Elsewhere, Cathy Kennedy found aspen just beginning to change at Packer Lake near Sierra City in the Northern Sierra (CA-49).

Onion Valley, Inyo National Forest – Just Starting (10%)
Packer Lake, Sierra City – Just Starting (10%)

Onion Valley Campground (9/7/20) Mohammad Delwar
Quaking Aspen, Packer Lake, Sierra City (8/7/20) Cathy Kennedy

September 11, 2020/by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report

What!? Berkeley Already?

Wasatch Maple/Acer grandidentatum, Tilden Park, Berkeley (9/8/20) Sandy Steinman

East Bay color spotter Sandy Steinman scores Autumn’s first fall color with these photographs taken at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Berkeley’s Tilden Park.

Sandy notes that the garden features California native plants and its maple were showing early signs of color.

Vine Maple/Acer circinatum, Tilden Park, Berkeley (9/8/20) Sandy Steinman

Tilden Park, Berkeley – Just Starting (10%)

Vine Maple, Tilden Park (9/8/20) Sandy Steinman
Vine Maple, Tilden Park (9/8/20) Sandy Steinman
Wasatch Maple, Tilden Park (9/8/20) Sandy Steinman
Creeping Barberry, Tilden Park (9/8/20) Sandy Steinman

September 10, 2020/by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, Gold Country, Northern Sierra

Early Signs

Chinese pistache, El Dorado Hills (8/15/20) John Poimiroo

Some trees are showing early signs of color change. This is normal.

Sycamore, Chinese pistache, Liquidambar have all exhibited tonal change in summer. In the Sierra foothills, Chinese pistache and sycamore are evolving from green to yellow-green foliage, as seen above.

However, many native oak – responding to record-high, late-summer temperatures, dryness and particulate dust from wildfire smoke are turning brown much earlier than in previous years.

Quaking Aspen, Agate Bay (8/15/20) John Poimiroo
Quaking Aspen, Agate Bay (8/15/20) John Poimiroo

Reports of healthy stands of quaking aspen seen in the Hope Valley and at Lake Tahoe encouraged a suvey of North Lake Tahoe and Truckee this weekend. I found the aspen at Lake Tahoe to be in general good health, though stands surrounding the derelict cabin beside Upper Martis Creek (CA-267) are in trouble.

Martis Creek Cabin (8/15/20) John Poimiroo
Martis Creek Cabin (8/15/20) John Poimiroo
Insect Infestation, Martis Creek Meadow (8/15/20) John Poimiroo
Martis Creek Meadow (8/15/20) John Poimiroo
Martis Creek Meadow (8/15/20) John Poimiroo
Martis Creek Meadow (8/15/20) John Poimiroo
From Healthy to Deathlike at Upper Martis Creek Meadow (8/15/20) John Poimiroo

The aspen at Upper Martis Creek cabin (a favorite spot for wedding photos, portraits and easily accessed fall color) have not been healthy for some years.

I found the small grove surrounding the cabin full of yellow-green leaves, not from early change, but from a lack of nutrients.

Other trees in the grove vary from healthy to deathlike. In some instances holes in leaves indicate that the aspen appear were attacked by insects, while paper-dry brown leaves suggest a lack of water is killing off the aspen. In support of that, the meadow surrounding the cabin is bone dry and crunches when stepped upon, not a good sign for a meadow which should be moist.

That’s unfortunate, as while this is just one small location, it is a popular one for North Tahoe visitors in search of fall color.

0-10% – Just Starting – Sierra Foothills

0-10% – Just Starting – North Lake Tahoe

0-10% – Just Starting – Upper Martis Creek Meadow

0-10% – Just Starting – Blue Oak, Sierra Foothills

August 15, 2020/by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, Japan, Special Report

500 Years of Beauty

Gingko biloba, Koukokuji Temple, Shinjuku, Tokyo (12/12/19) Makoto Fujimoto

Makoto Fujimoto shares these pictures of a massive Gingko biloba tree standing near Koukokuji Temple in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo.

Mike reports that the tree is 500 years old, yet its early December color still shines brightly.

Tokyo (131′) – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.

December 29, 2019/by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, Los Angeles County

Christmas Ornaments

Virginia Creeper, La Canada-Flintridge (12/25/19) Julie Kirby

Ornamented with blue berries, this Virginia Creeper provides Christmas cheer to the Southern California community of La Cañada-Flintridge.

La Cañada-Flintridge (1,188′) – Past Peak, You Missed it!

December 25, 2019/by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report

See You Next Autumn, Dude

Moonlight Forest, LA County Arboretum (12/2/19) Frank McDonough

California – Past Peak, YOU MISSED IT.

December 20, 2019/by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, Los Angeles County, Special Events

Night and Day

Moonlight Forest, LA County Arboretum (12/12/19) Frank McDonough

During this festive season, the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens is beautiful both night and day.

Nightly until Jan. 12, during its Moonlight Forest event, the LA County Arboretum is illuminated with colorful lanterns while sunlit days still hang heavy with the last of LA County’s autumn color.

Here’s some of the beauty to be enjoyed. Click to enlarge images.

LA County Arboretum (12/12/19) Frank McDonough

*Mushrooms, LA County Arboretum, Arcadia (12/11/19) Frank McDonough*

Moonlight Forest, LA County Arboretum (12/12/19) Frank McDonough

Sunlit Forest, LA County Arboretum (12/12/19) Frank McDonough

*Canada geese, Meadowbrook Section, LA County Arboretum (12/12/19) Frank McDonough*

*California grape on bamboo, LA County Arboretum (12/12/19) Frank McDonough*

LA County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, Arcadia – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!

December 13, 2019/by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, Los Angeles County

Behold San Gabriel

*Liquidambar,* *La Canada (12/10/19) John Jackson*

Early December is when the San Gabriel Valley is said to peak each year. Appropriate, considering that – scripture records – St. Gabriel foretold the reason for the Christmas season.

As predicted, it’s peaking now with ornamental trees heralding heavy loads of yellow, chartreuse and orange-pink foliage in La Canada.

*Chinese pistache, La Canada (12/10/19) John Jackson*

John Jackson sends these images taken along Viro Rd., which is lined with towering liquidambar, sycamore and Chinese pistache.

La Canada (970′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!

December 10, 2019/by John Poimiroo

Fall Color Report, First Report, Los Angeles County

Liquidambar Brighten, Finally

*Liquidambar, Walnut-Rowland Heights (12/8/19) Mohammed Hossain*

So far this autumn, Liquidambar (Sweetgum) have been disappointingly flat. Photographs received, and those I’ve seen, have lacked the vibrant, firey colors normal for this colorful ornamental tree.

Color spotter Mohammed Hossain scores a First Report from Walnut-Rowland Heights and comes to the rescue, providing these mobile phone snaps he took on a walk in his neighborhood, West of Pomona.

*Walnut-Rowland Heights (12/8/19) Mohammed Hossain*

Mohammed says recent storms with lots of rain and crisp, cool, clear following days have refreshed the trees, causing the colors to brighten. Perhaps that’s what’s been missing in an autumn that’s been unusually dry.

He continues that the San Gabriel Mountains are now dusted with snow, providing that Chamber of Commerce image that Rose Parade viewers have come to associate with Southern California in winter. Though, this is still autumn; winter does not begin until December 21.

It’s easy to imagine how Mohammed’s walk/jog, as he described, filled his “heart and soul” with the beauty of a late autumn day that was dressed with rainbows arcing above the dazzling colors.