Autumn colors are a contrast of gold and brown against the ubiquitous green of the evergreen forest in my yard here on the NE corner of the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state.
The Daily Bucket is a regular feature of the Backyard Science group. It is a place to note any observations you have made of the world around you. Snails, fish, insects, weather, meteorites, climate, birds and/or flowers. All are worthy additions to the bucket. Please let us know what is going on around you in a comment. Include, as close as is comfortable for you, where you are located.
Western Redcedar flags
This is the final seasonal installment about my backyard. Previous buckets are
Winter woods,
Spring woods and
Summer woods. So this bucket completes the year.
Please join me past the fallen orange Bigleaf maple leaf for another stroll around my yard.
Even the Western redcedars (Thuja plicata) that dominate my woods provide colorful foliage in the fall. Rusty brown foliage develops on the tree in late summer and is very obvious by early fall. The affected foliage consists of older growth formed in previous years. Foliage developed during the current year remains green. These brown branchlets are called flags and are generally spread uniformly throughout the canopy. Most of the dead foliage will be blown out of the tree by the wind during the fall and winter, and the tree's healthy evergreen appearance will be restored.
The most spectacular fall color is provided by the Bigleaf maples (Acer macrophyllum). Whereas we don't have swaths of red and yellow landscapes, I really enjoy the contrast between the golden maples and the surrounding evergreens.
Bigleaf maples against a backdrop of evergreens
Since the latest wind storm, the Bigleaf maple leaves have now all fallen. Now, the contrast is between the fallen leaves and the evergreen Sword ferns (
Polystichum munitum) into which they have nestled.
Bigleaf maple leaf nestled in Sword fern
The Sword ferns and Salal are evergreens of the forest floor. The Licorice ferns (
Polypodium glycyrrhiza), growing on the trunks and branches of the Bigleaf maple trees, have revived their green after taking the summer off. However, the Bracken ferns (
Pteridium aquilinum) are deciduous and they contribute a filagree of tan and brown against the green at the forest edge.
Bracken fern in the fall
The Pacific madronas (
Arbutus menziesii) are festooned with red berries at this time of year. The berries, which are popular with birds, sometimes persist until the holidays of Solstice and Christmas. According to the reference book
Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast by Pojar and MacKinnon, the tree's name, Arbutus, means "strawberry tree" in Latin, referring to its bright red fruit.
Pacific madrona with berries
Fall moisture brings in the mushroom season and this year has been bountiful. I look but don't eat since I am not knowledgeable enough about what is edible and what isn't. Does anyone know what the second and third mushrooms below are?
Shaggy mane (Coprinus comatus)
Mushroom with a lovely skirt
Mushroom with a fascinating fringe
Your turn! What are you seeing in your backyard these days? Is it still feeling like Fall or is it turning toward Winter? Please, let us know where you are located.
I'll be responding to your comments as soon as morning arrives on the west coast.
"Green Diary Rescue" is Back!
"Green Diary Rescue" will be posted every Saturday at 1:00 pm Pacific Time on the Daily Kos front page. Be sure to recommend and comment in the diary.