Natural History Wanderings

Sierra Foothills – Newtown Road, a route from Placerville to Holly’s Hill in Pleasant Valley is draped with bright yellow and orange from peaking bigleaf maple and black oak.  The Sierra foothills are peaking,
Sierra Foothills – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
See photos at WINE AND FALL COLOR PAIRING

Owens Valley – the Owens Valley, from Bishop south, continues to carry crackling bright orange and yellow color, with cottonwood and rabbitbrush still at peak.
Owens Valley – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
See photos at OWENS VALLEY STILL CRACKLING

Redbuds- When it comes to redbud, it’s debatable as to which is prettiest in autumn… East or West.
The eastern variety, cercis canadensis, displays bright gold and green heart-shaped leaves.
Whereas, western redbud, cercis occidentalis, display orange, red, gold and lime heart-shaped leaves.
Both are equally stunning.
Redbud is often overlooked by color spotters who give up looking for great fall color as soon as the forests of aspen have turned,
Western redbud growing along Big Chico Creek in Chico’s Bidwell Park.
Cercis occidentalis are native to the Sierra and North Coast foothills.
In springtime, their showy pink and magenta blossoms grow in clusters all over redbud shrubs that garnish foothill river canyons.
Eastern redbud are a popular landscape and street tree, appreciated for their shape, shade and autumn color (best from late October to early November).
Redbud – Peak (75-100%) – Their range forms an upside down fish hook, leading from the SF Bay Area north through wine country and the Redwood Highway, then bending east through Trinity County to the northern Sierra foothills, then south to the Southern Sierra. GO NOW!
See photos at EAST/WEST REDBUD DEBATE