Awesome Aloe
Aloe is known to many as the miracle lotion found in hand and body creams to soften and repair skin, but to horticulturists, its a genus of flowering succulent that blossoms at the end of autumn.
There are 500 species of aloe. True aloe (Aloe vera) is the most well-known of them, though there’s also: French, bitter, flat-flowered, tilt-headed, soap and Zimbabwe among the many types of tree and brushy aloes. The name of the last of these gives you an idea from where they originated… from Africa to Greece along the Mediterranean Sea.
Reporting from the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens, Frank McDonough says the aloe there are primed to peak during Christmas week, though they’re already colorful (the Arboretum will be closed on Christmas Day).
Aloe blooms are yellow, orange, pink and red with their large reservoir-like leaves storing water captured in winter for drier summer months.
Elsewhere at the LA County Arboretum, colored lights provided holiday cheer with trees changing color this past Saturday evening. Such special events for nighttime photography are noted on the arboretum’s calendar. Several gardens hold similar events during the holidays, including Descanso Gardens.
Gingko biloba persist in their long-lasting fall display at the LA County Arboretum with curtains of their bright yellow leaves heavily draped from branches. Elsewhere, liquidambar and pomegranates are still carrying color right to the last day of autumn (Dec. 20).
LA County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens – Peak to Past Peak – You Almost Missed It.
Fire in the Sky
When smoke from wildfires colors the western horizon, as is happening – tragically – in Ventura County, sunsets intensify and glow in ways both foreboding and inspiring.
Yesterday, color spotter Frank McDonough lingered ’til after dusk at the LA County Arboretum in Arcadia to capture these impressions of such fire in the sky.
During daytime, the smoke from Southern California’s wildfires is hardly noticeable, as California’s bluer than blue sky is now only lightly brushed with haze. At the Arboretum, autumn sunlight warms scenes of people strolling through the gardens. Fall color continues at the LA County Arboretum, which holds title as one of California’s last locations to see peaking fall color.
LA County Arboretum and Botanical Gardens – Peak to Past Peak – You Almost Missed It.
LA County Fall Color Survives
Fall color continues to peak at points throughout Los Angeles County, despite smoke and fire that has ravaged Southern California’s coastal mountains.
Frank McDonough reminds us of the beauty and blue skies being seen in Arcadia at the LA County Arboretum and Gardens, noting that while many trees are now past peak, others are still short of peak.
LA County – Peak to Past Peak – You Almost Missed It.
Autumn’s End
When does autumn end? When snow blankets fallen leaves, as seen in Robert Kermen’s photograph of dry leaves near the Bear River (Hwy 20), or when the last migratory bird wings further south or begins flying north?
As long as current fall color photographs are posted here, it will not end, at least for CaliforniaFallColor.com readers.
In the East Bay, Sandy Steinman looked out a window across South Berkeley to capture a “very California fall color” scene with his iPhone. Spindly-tall palms were leaning toward the bay amidst spots of bright autumn color. He reports “quite a few street trees” are still carrying color.
Sacramento Valley – Past Peak – You Missed It.
San Francisco Bay Area – Peak to Past Peak – You Almost Missed It.
Dreary Day, Yet Still Colorful
Robert Kermen spent a “dreary day” in Chico on Saturday, though photographs he took along the Esplanade show otherwise. That’s because though overcast looms, color is intensified on dreary days.
And, with leaves off many of the branches, songbirds are easier to photograph as they search for food and sing about the weather.
Sonoma Hangin’ In There
The beauty of autumn continues until it finally flames out, as seen in these images send by David Laurence.
West of Sebastopol along CA-116, liquidambar are set ablaze by an autumn sunrise. While, midday in the Alexander Valley, north of Healdsburg, northern Sonoma County’s hillsides are scored with peaking vines.
Sonoma County – Peak to Past Peak – You Almost Missed It.
LA County Owns December
The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens in Arcadia owns December.
Over recent years, California Fall Color has consistently received reports and photographs of autumn foliage from this arboretum between mid November and mid December, but it is early December when fall color there is most beautiful.
That is largely consistent among coastal arboretums and botanic gardens, including the UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley, Descanso Gardens, Huntington Botanical Gardens, San Francisco Botanical Garden, Balboa Park Botanical Garden and Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden. Though, not all feature as broad a range of varieties with fall color.
At the LA County Arboretum, Frank McDonough, its Botanical Information Specialist and one of our perennial color spotters, will be leading a Fall Foliage Walking Tour of the LA County Arboretum on Saturday, Dec. 2. He worries, however, that this year’s fall color is “way late.” Warm temperatures and dry skies have kept the color from developing, as seen in his photos of cotoneaster and crepe myrtle.
Frank, who has recorded the beauty of autumn there for years, will be speaking about what triggers the change among the broad mix of foliage to be enjoyed at the LA County Arboretum, including: gingko biloba, fishtail gingko, Eastern white oak, horse chestnut, Japanese maple, Japanese lacquer trees, Daimyo oak, crepe myrtle, sweet gum (liquidambar), sour gum, red maple, Eastern redbud, American elm, Chinese tallow, Chinese parasol trees, Chinese pistache, birch, pomegranate, cotoneaster, California fan palm, tulip trees, sticks on fire, pin oak, Chinaberry, Jerusalem thorn, blaze maple, horned maple, California wild grape, flame leaf sumac and California fan palms.
So, as December arrives, peak color does as well, though this autumn it is late in appearing at the LA County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens in Arcadia.
LA County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens, Arcadia – Patchy
Speeding Toward Winter At Warp
With just 24 days of autumn remaining and winter storms now wetting California every few days, autumn is speeding toward winter at warp speed, as Robert Kermen depicts in his Thanksgiving Day photo of the Midway, between Durham and Chico (northern Sacramento Valley).
This past weekend’s storms stripped many Northern California trees and vines of color that was evident when these images were taken by Anson Davalos and Nancy Hull on Thanksgiving Day.
Cottonwood along the American River in the Sierra Foothhills have lost their lustrous crowns of bright gold and other landmark trees in the Sacramento Valley are now Past Peak.
Splotches of auburn and orange can still be seen in Gold Country and Central Valley towns, though rain has knocked much of the color from the trees, creating a mash of fallen leaves on the pavement.
Sierra Foothills – Past Peak – You Missed It.
Sacramento Valley – Past Peak – You Missed It.
Mass Ascension
When a “mass ascension” occurs at one of the Sacramento Valley’s many wetlands, rice patties or wildlife refuges, virtually tens of thousands of birds lift off all at once.
They take to the air when predators (bald eagle, redtail hawks and falcons) approach.
Similar to the effect of the flashing silver and black flanks of fish in their schools, the swirling mass of white and dark wings in a mass ascension confuses raptors and makes it more difficult for them to snare a meal.
Mass ascensions are breathtaking sights that are often seen, in autumn, north of Sacramento.
Kermen knew to visit a wetland, south of Durham. If you open the California Fall Color map on the right side of this page and search for Durham or Colusa, anywhere you see large ponds of water are sure to be gathering places for waterfowl. For the easiest viewing, visit the Sacramento Valley National Wildlife Refuge or Colusa NWR. Roads pass through both of them and your vehicle serves as your “blind.” Bring binoculars and, if photographing, a telephoto lens and tripod or window camera mount (which turns your car into a tripod).
Close up photographs of wildlife are best captured with digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras using lenses greater than 300 mm.
A 400mm lens is considered to be an ideal length when starting to shoot wildlife. However, long lenses – particularly those with larger apertures that will take sharp pictures in low light – come with a hefty price tag. For example, Nikon’s 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR lens (admittedly, a very expensive lens) costs over $11,000 (Canon’s similar lens is $1,000 less).
Considering the high cost of telephoto lenses with large aperture settings, starting amateur wildlife photographers might consider first purchasing a zoom lens in the range of from 100 to 500mm, but with a smaller aperture setting, such as a Nikon 200-500mm f5.6 ($1,400) or Canon 100-400mm f5.6 ($1,200).
Another way to increase focal length is to add a teleconverter to a smaller focal length lens (about $300 for a 2x teleconverter). They do not provide the sharpness of a set lens, but are not budget breakers and result in fine photographs that impress, if you’re not selling your work or making gallery-quality prints.
For clarity, a smaller f-stop means a larger aperture, while a larger f-stop means a smaller aperture.
With these options, you will lose the ability to shoot action in lower light conditions, but can more affordably begin shooting wildlife and thus gain experience before making the investment on a more expensive lens.
For these shots, Kermen used a Canon 80D with 70-200mm f4L IS USM lens, which he keeps at hand on the console of his vehicle, so that he doesn’t miss a great shot when motoring along one of California’s backroads.
Click on photo to enlarge.
Pinot & Chardonnay Peak in Sonoma County
Pinot and Chardonnay vines are peaking in Sonoma County, as is typical for Thanksgiving Week, local vineyard photographer David Laurence Sharp reports.
“The west county, where early ripening varieties such as Pinot Noir & Chardonnay are prevalent, are quickly losing their leaves,” Sharp writes, though “Northern Sonoma County, planted more to later ripening varieties, is in full color glory.”
Whereas, “Sonoma Valley is a mix of full-on color, some vineyards have lost their leaves.”
Sonoma Valley – Peak to Past Peak – You Almost Missed It.