Our autumn colors are quite beautiful, and the sweetgum trees (Liquidambar styraciflua) are especially showy. Their unique five-pointed, star-shaped leaves are now sometimes gold.
Category: Seasons
Colorful sassafras
I love autumn, especially watching the magic as leaves change colors. On a recent walk at our local arboretum, this patch of leaves on a sassafras tree (Sassafras albidum) grabbed my attention.
The brilliant leaves were back-lit by the sun and reminded me of stained glass. Our parade of fall colors has definitely begun and I look forward to watching its progress.
Zinnias and butterflies
Late summer at The Arboretum
I’m grateful to live near The Arboretum and to be able to observe and learn from the diversity of plants. On a recent walk, I was delighted to find several native perennials with colorful blooms.
I like the soft mauve color of Joe-pye Weed (Eupatorium fistulosum), and it was a special treat to see a Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) on this one.
Bleeding Hearts
I am amazed at the variety of shapes and colors of flowers, and I find the shape of Bleeding Hearts especially intriguing. This non-native one (Dicentra spectabilis) brings back many fond memories of my grandmother and her delightful flower garden. The plants get 2-3 feet tall, and the dangling blossoms on arching stems remind me of a charm bracelet. The flowers appear in April and May, and the attractive foliage dies back in mid-summer.
