Autumn color in a Medit. climate
The Sierra foothills, among other places in the West, are a "fall color"
hot spot, mainly because so many 19th century pioneers from the eastern
U.S. brought with them their favorite New England trees with wonderful
fall foliage (sugar maples, liquid ambar, dogwoods, elm, locust, apple,
pear, peach, nectarine, etc.). The usual sharp drop in night
temperatures here in October (more pronounced than on the coast)
coincides with the reduction of daylight and this probably fits with
these eastern natives' natural inclination to color up nicely in these
climatic conditions. Some New Englanders might think we West Coast folks
have little to get excited about in terms of fall color, but they
brought these fall color trees out here to enjoy a part of their
heritage.
That said, even if we didn't have huge, 150-year-old sugar maples all
around the Gold Country for tourists to take pictures of, the natives
out in the woods and in the watersheds would put on a nice fall show of
red and yellow color themselves. Some of my favorites include redbud,
the native dogwoods, aspen, big-leaf maple, the California grapevine,
mock orange, honeysuckles, the native St. John's Wort (a weed), poison
oak and gooseberry. Plus, I love the color of dried-out grasses and dead
leaves.
In all, we can't complain. Fall here in the Sierra foothills is a visual
spectacle and it also definitely feels different than the other seasons.
Paul Harrar
Nevada City, California
Sunset Zone 7
2,700 ft.
