Sugar Maple - Acer saccharum
Sugar Maple - Acer saccharum
With shorter daylight hours and cooler temperatures, the members of our Meditational Woods are getting ready for their winter's rest. That was clear last week as I enjoyed the cool breezy air during a walk on the paved path headed toward the Woods. Many of the trees had either dropped their leaves or had them turn dry and brown. However, I did find some trees still holding on to their colorful leaves. The leaves are colorful, as you probably know, because the trees have stopped making and have broken down the green chlorophyll they use to make food by photosynthesis. As a result, this reveals the yellow, orange or brown carotenoid pigments that were in the leaf all the time but hidden before by the chlorophyll.The first tree I spotted was the gorgeous yellow-orange sugar maple peeking out of the middle of the woods. It had already dropped lots of leaves that will be the winter homes for so many types of insects and other small critters. And next Spring the leaves will join the soil.
American Beech - Fagus grandifolia
American Beech - Fagus grandifolia
To the left of the Peace Pole, I spotted the multi-colored leaves of this American beech. American beech trees are easily identified by their smooth, gray bark. Some of the beech's leaves now are bright red or purple from anthocyanin pigments which were not present in the spring or summer, and are only made by the leaf in late summer or autumn. The lower branches of mature American beech trees tend to keep their leaves during the winter, and by then those leaves are blonde-colored.
Pawpaw - Asimina triloba
Pawpaw - Asimina triloba
Just north of the paved path and before the fountain area is a lovely pawpaw patch. Yes, there really are pawpaw patches! Pawpaw root-suckers freely and forms colonies. The leaves are large and almost tropical-looking. In fact, most of the pawpaw's relatives live in the tropics! Now the leaves of the pawpaws have turned a beautiful golden-yellow color and so are easy to find. Come sit in the fountain area and enjoy these colorful trees before they rest for the winter.