That's very pretty! I'll keep my eyes open for more pics.

I think they'll grow here in the Houston area, but we hardly ever have enough of a fall for any trees to have great fall color, unfortunately. One year when we did, pics made the front page of the newspaper.

eahamel,
I can't speak for Houston, however Blackgum is not particularly temperature sensitive in regards to color development. They are noted for developing color throughout the deep south. Notice the level of green of everything around this tree. So it might be worthwhile for you if you desire, to look into how they do in your area.

Arktrees

We had nearly identical fall conditions here as you did, Ark. I only have a few good trees but here is the best ash I could find. I thought catching it mid transition was pretty awesome! I've never seen one so distinct in the green to yellow and yellow to red/brown all at once.

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Gents, what soil ph ranges do you have around there?

6-7 is pretty average for this area I think. The soil is 7 at my house.

John

I don't know exactly off the top of my head, but I believe it to be around 6 or so. Our soil is described as rather acidic in the soils manual my S.O. has access to. I will ask her to look it up again for me.

Otherwise nearly all the soil locally is acidic to one degree or another with the exception being over limestone outcrops etc.

Arktrees

For some reason I thought it was alkaline around there and wondering how some of the acidic lovers where getting bold fall colors.

You guys are certainly an acidic/netural state, now that I took some time to look at a map.

Nice pics Ark and Jon, do black gums drop those spiny balls like sweet gums do? We have a sweet gum in our front yard that also reliably colors in the Fall no matter if it gets cold or not but those balls are a huge drawback.

We didn't have much color this past Fall, the young October Glory didn't color at all but thanks to last week's 80 degree temps it's now in flower. lol

GV, blackgums actually have small blue fruit slightly larger than a pea. This past fall, I collected from a local specimen that was loaded with fruit. I can send you a seedling next year if you would like. Just email me if you are interested.

There are also a few cultivars of blackgum worth planting. 'Red Rage', 'Sherrie's Cloud', and 'Wildfire' are all nice with 'Wildfire' reportedly having faster growth than typical of the species (which is 1-2'/year).

My OG was very blah this year but the 'Red Sunset's were very nice. I can't believe yours are already flowering! That means mine aren't too far away. Last year, mine began flowering the last week of Feb.

John

I have a few to add.
Hot dry summer, a little relief in fall.

Cornus kousa 'Satomi'

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Close up

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Amelanchier x grandiflora

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Acer palmatum dissectum 'Viridis'

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Viburnum cassinoides

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Stewartia pseudocamellia

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Prunus sargentii
Juglans nigra (behind house)

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tj

Tom, is your kousa typically that good?

One of mine (still getting established) was quite vibrant as well.

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Here's a path in my garden with Japanese Maples and a Stewartia monodelpha on the far right.
Mike
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Not everything is about fall color, as in leaves changing before falling. There is much to be seen besides the leaves of fall.

Here we have a small American Beautyberry which is native to my region.

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Another native is Possumhaw Ilex decidua. This is a much over looked native that can provide nice color for much of the winter when everything else is bare.

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Personally, I love these things.

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Lastly for today, is again Possumhaw, but also the berries of Greenbrier.

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Oh my, such beauty!

I'll send you a note John and thanks so much, I would love to try a black gum seedling. :)

I was quite disturbed to see the OG flowering since we had near-freezing forecast for the past couple nights but so far it doesn't seem to have been bothered, the next week will be 50/70's so everything else will probably start budding soon. lol

Various trees with Fall color in my garden.
Mike

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Here's a hobblebush from about 5,500 feet along the Appalachian Trail in early September - I've always admired the fall color on these gangly shrubs.
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Great pics everyone. I for one very much appreciate what all of have offered up. Some I am unfamilar with.

So I am going to do a second post today, just cause I have time this evening. I find that I' bending in putting more photos in than I had originally planned. Oh well, doubt anyone will mind.

Lastly, it appears that spring is going to be very early in this region again this year, and I may have waited too long to start this thread. I'm already find many plants reviving from winter's sleep.

Arktrees

So how about some Sumac. I think this is probable "Smooth Sumac", but honestly, I've been too lazy to bother to confirm the species. Still it looks great and adds to the palette and length of the color season.

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I LOVE this mix of Reds, and Red-Oranges, and really Pink-Reds.

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More Sumac with a Ash (probable Green Ash) turning a very nice yellow in the background for contrast.

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here's an edited and unedited version of a photo I took w/ my phone at a nature preserve in Cary.

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Those sumacs and black gums look great! I don't much like fall colors in the fall (never too excited to see the season end) but right about now it sure looks nice compared to the white outside. Good idea to wait until winter to post this.

Mostly red maples, sumacs and aspen (I think)

kato,
Completely understand what your saying. The very short drab unchanging days certainly takes a toll on me as well. I find myself being drawn more and more to things like the Possumhaw that have something to offer in the winter, but still are changing with the seasons. Our winters are short, and the snow is great and beautiful, and I certainly enjoy it when it happens, but I'm always more than ready for spring to roll around, and always looking for those first hints which are already occurring in my area. For me, I look at fall as as the show ending spectacular, a change to appease the senses, to top off the batteries before the winter drab. Therefore I welcome fall, even though I know winter is soon to arrive. Plus in this part of the world, fall is usually a process over weeks (usually about 3-5), and spring is a process over a couple months, meaning there can be much to enjoy.

jqpublic,
I often adjust the exposure. I find that the majority of digital cameras result in pictures that are over-exposed, many of them are very very bad about this. I have taken cameras back because of this very problem. I am aware that the human brain automatically compensates for lack of ideals in the real world, so perception is often more different from the true reality, but allot of camera makers just don't resolve their issues very well too. So a little adjusting from sunny daylight pictures, I'm fine with, as that is probable not the camera's fault. But when nearly every pic needs adjusting, then that is the camera's problem.

Now it's time to move along to more pictures. For this post, I have decided to post the fall season color, that are from some of the flowers. Hopefully none of you mind the deviation. :-)

Arktrees

First up are some of my female Significant Other Counter parts Roses.

'Shockwave' Rose

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'Orange Crush' Rose. An EXCELLENT climber BTW. She LOVES this one.

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The near bullet proof standby 'Knockout" Rose.

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'Hot Coccoa" Rose. Another favorite of hers.

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How about a little Golden Rod (unknown species as there are many).

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More Golden Rod with wild Aster's.

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Jackmannii' Clematis in fall flower. I love this thing, as there is no more purple flower when they open, and it has proven to be extremely tough.

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Lastly for today fall Chrysanthemums.

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That Hot Coccoa sure has an interesting color! At least you have someone getting some blooms in the garden. I have to scam, manipulate, sell or hide my intent for every plant I purchase!

Not sure if I shared these before.

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Here's another Fall picture.
This area has been changed a lot since I took the picture. I like relandscaping my garden and can't seem to stop even though I'm retired.
Mike

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Great pics everyone :)

Mike, how much do you charge for admission?

Here's colorful sugar maple I found very near some dogwoods that were STUNNING in fall of 2011 but not so much in 2012.

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LOL. No charge. I have given a few garden tours to local garden clubs, but most of those ladies are into perennials rather than trees and shrubs. Given the size of my garden, I wouldn't have enough time and energy to take care of many of those.

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That pile of branches that looks like a beaver den is just a pile of branches I was going to burn last summer when the pond was dry, but the winter rains came and flooded it. Oh well, next summer it will burn.
That's a Bald cypress in the light.
Notice my friend and her white dog for a sense of scale. The dog's name is Meg. We call her Nutmeg. The dog is goofy.
Mike

Nice pix one and all.

Will, the kousa fall color varies from year to year. Sometimes wine red, other times more vibrant red.

My wife's favorite rose...

Dr Brownell (on it's own rootstock and quite hardy)

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Odd thing about rose scents...I can barely detect the fragrance on this one, yet my wife loves the fragrance.

tj

Great photos. Thank all of you for appreciating the thread.

Mike, I kinda like the branches. Making it look more like a beaver dam would be a nice touch IMHO. But then I'm a country boy at heart and always will be. Don't think I will ever reach that level profession as what you display. Your pics are of truly exceptional garden. Thank you for sharing them.

whaas, I have to say that I'm pretty lucky in the tolerance of my S.O. Lucky for me, she was a certified Master Gardener at one time, so she likes to plant stuff herself. I try to facilitate where I can, as she has basically let me plant most any tree I wanted that I could find a place for. Some of them she choose (i.e Fire Dragon, she wanted Sugar Maple, but I wanted two of them etc). But it has mostly been up to me to do what I think is best.

John, that is a very nice Orange, but then you already know what I like already. BTW, saw our first Robin in the yard yesterday. WAY WAY early.

Today's pics will be a mixed bag, and I'm not sure how many I'm going to post until I'm done for this post. :-)

Arktrees

Absolutely the reddest Pin Oak I have ever seen.

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Couple of Tulip Tree leaves. So far the this tree has not changed completely at one time, I suspect it will not. Still nice color though.

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Few leaves of our Triflorum Maple. It's coloring better each year.

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A random unknown Sugar Maple that turned very early. Have no ideal if it is a cultivar or seed grown.

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Sassafras along the side of the road.

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Scenery Pics today. These were all taken near the time of the first color peak of the fall, and within a short drive.

This is near a very old cemetery.
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Views from the road.

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Overlooking a valley.

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Overlooking the same valley, note the Oak on the right.

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WHAT A BEAUTY!!! I may have to find out who owns this property and go collecting acorns next fall.

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Kudos to everyone for sharing their pics!

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Whaas, that oak is killing me! Is that the same one you posted in an earlier fall color topic?

Random pics from a park close to work at the beginning of the first peak of color last year

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There is a good chance!

I still can't get over my neighbor planting all those damn arbs from Home Depot. They are half dead now. I even told him that the things don't grow in mostly shade. You need Hetz Wintergreen, hemlock or yew. Maybe a Picea glauca. Deer candy too...thats why the few he had where clinging on for deer life. I was so happy he finally cut them down and then the jagaloon plants more!

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whaas,
I know you posted the cultivar name of that Oak previously, but I have fogotten. Would you mind telling us again? :-)) I have to agree it is VERY VERY nice looking tree.

Time for what has become my daily update. When you feel this thread has gotten too long, then please tell me so, and I will make version 2.

Arktrees

First up today is wild Blackgum backlight by the sun. The picture, unfortunately does not capture just how great a scene this was.

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One thing that surprised me this year, was the intensity of color for American Persimmon Tree. They were very early, and some of the brightest yellows and purples you have ever seen. I unfortunately did not get a picture of them at their best, but did find these fairly nice smaller trees along the road in the hills at a later date.

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How about a little Hickory action. Always great color of these. I do not know the species however. Rally is a shame that they grow soooo slowly.

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Here we have a wild native Red Maple showing it's finest.

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As nice as any cultivar.

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This picture doesn't show it as well as I would like, but it does demonstrate something that I think is lacking as far as cultivars of Red Maple. This particular wild tree exhibited as intense red as you will see on a maple, everywhere the leaves received direct sun. Leaves and areas that tended to be shaded were a just as intense bright butter yellow on the same tree. Nearly all cultivars are selected for size/shape, or red fall color. A tree that consistently produces a mix of intense red AND yellow would be a winner IMHO.

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Lastly, we have a wild native Sugar Maple doing it's thing in it's usual colorful way.

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This post was edited by arktrees on Wed, Feb 6, 13 at 21:37

Looks like I will have to visit northeast Arkansas again, only this time in the Fall instead of Spring. It's beautiful country. I visited a friend in Heber Springs.
Here's a Ginkgo tree in Fall color in my garden and partially hidden is a Bald Cypress.
Those are Sedums I put on an Alder stump last year to make it look better. Hey, it beats digging it up! A few groundcovers were planted around the stump to hide more of it in the future. That's a Doug Fir snag behind it.
Mike
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Mike,
"C-o-m-e on downnnn!!!!" (think Price is Right gameshow). I do have to say that spring is probable the most reliable season, and it's not completely reliable. Everything else exhibits high variability. Just depends upon the year. I would suggest you check out the Buffalo National River, you won't regret it.

BTW, love the picture. Going to show it to my S.O., as she loves the sedum's. Might give her an ideal or two.
Arktrees

Sedums grow in the driest, sunny places imaginable. On top of stumps, on rocks, and here is some on the edge of my driveway near my entryway. I never water them, even in our 'dry' summers. Most Sedums bloom. This one has yellow blooms.
Grass and weeds are it's main enemy. You have to plant Sedums where almost nothing else will grow. If the soil is deep or wet, you will have trouble with weeds.
Mike
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Quick update today. More pics, and things to do. :-)

Arktrees

Looking down the road in the Ozark National Forest.

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I have never seen Black Walnuts with such exceptional color as this year. They rivaled Ginkgo's with their yellow.

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Its the common Regal Prince or 'Long'. Interested to see if this color will repeat in the future.

The color was extremely long lasting compared to everything else I have. Should be fully established after this upcoming year.

I notice the black walnuts look exceptional this year as well. Typically they are a dirty green yellow color

Update time.

Nice place to build a house.

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I told my S.O. that we need to hire someone to transplant this tree to our yard. Don't think she was amused because she knew I was HALF kidding. A native Sugar Maple growing in the Ozark National Forest along a road.

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An excellent Ash on University or Arkansas property.

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Annual photos of the largest American Smoke Tree that I know of locally.

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Likely Bonfire Sugar Maple On the University of Arkansas campus.

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Some Crepe Myrtles near the library.

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Did you roast any marshmallows on that Sugar Maple?

Hey, I'll play. I usually miss the color over the passes, but got a local to e-mail me when things were at their best last year. It was a 400+ mile day, but it was worth it. :)

This post was edited by MrCaballus on Mon, Feb 11, 13 at 14:49

Well, it looks like the new formating GW has decided to thrust upon it's forums, has jacked up this thread. So I guess I will let it die. The rest of the pic can be found at the link below. I have broken all the links to the photos that I had posted here, and previously.

Sorry folks.

Arktrees

Here is a link that might be useful: Fall Photos

This post was edited by arktrees on Mon, Feb 11, 13 at 22:41

Thread looked good to me. What did it do to your pics?

I notice the black walnuts look exceptional this year as well. Typically they are a dirty green yellow color

Whaas, I notice that B walnuts color best after hot, dry summers when the usual autumn anthracnose is limited.

Summer 2012 definltey has the BWs covered this year!lol

Well, Ark, I have your phone number so even if you leave GW, you will still have to deal with me!

First two pics are a nuttall oak that was buckrubbed for the second consecutive year and now has hardware cloth (as do the rest of my trees) but the hardware cloth provided no defense for gophers that ate nearly all the roots and left it dangling at 45* angle after our last round of storms this weekend. This tree and the willow oak in the last pic were planted Feb 2011. This nuttall grew about 2.5' even with the buck rub while the willow that was not buckrubbed it's first year grew about 6-8". Go figure...

Both the nuttall and the willow oaks were buckrubbed a couple days prior to the pics. I wonder if this damage somehow impacted the intensity of the fall color by disrupting the nutrient flow. Any ideas?

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Well, not going anywhere just yet anyway. For the moment I'm OK with blocking everything. Ads, trackers etc. and costing them money.

As for your trees, if you look at damaged leaves nearing fall, you will often see the first color is where leaf tissue is "behind" vascular damage, and this is because of exactly what you suspect, nutrients not properly flowing out of the leaf tissue. This is part of the coloring process for the fall as a whole as well. A barrier forms at the base of the leaf, in preparation for leaf drop. This also keeps the tree from losing moisture out these fresh wounds after when the leaf does fall.

Arktrees