Discover fall colors at Yew Dell
After a long summer filled with too many hot days and not enough rain, who doesn’t look forward to the changing of the season?! And with this time of the year, there comes the conversation about fall color. It means so many different things to different people. Some might simply think that it is changing the wardrobe color from bright summer colors to the toned down, earthy tones of their favorite flannel shirt. Others think of the majestic, pure yellow forests found this time of the year in northern forests.
Here in Kentucky and the rest of the eastern hardwood forests though, we are lucky (unlucky?) to have a mix of many fall colors. What affects that luck is that we not only have a large variety of colors but also the time frame of those colors is spread out since there are so many species.
Side note- Did YEW know that solid coloring of yellow is because the deciduous trees in those forests can be nearly all Populus sp. (aspen)?
Here at Yew Dell, some of our trees start to color up in late September with the Parrotia subaequalis (Chinese parrotia) leading the way. This tree not only colors up early but it keeps its deep maroon color well into November before slowly changing to a solid tan that persists on the tree into spring. This trait of a deciduous tree holding its foliage throughout some or most of winter is called marcescence.
Seasons-long color
The best species we have here at Yew Dell to hold its leaves is the Lindera angustifolia* (oriental spicebush). In fall, this plant has a beautiful red/orange color that transitions to a uniform tan color that persists until the plant begins putting out new leaves in the spring. It is a fantastic option for a privacy screen because of this. Being a botanical garden, the fall colors seen here at Yew Dell come from around the world and are in nearly any shade and hue of fall you can imagine.
It’s not just the trees
Don’t overlook some of the herbaceous perennials and their awesome fall color too! As you pull into the parking lot, you will see huge sweeps of Schizachyrium scoparium* (little bluestem grass). The light blue foliage color of summer gives way to wonderful rusty orange, red, and purples. The large mass of Amsonia tabernaemontana var. salicifolia (bluestar) by the Mary F. Rounsavall Pavilion also shows off in the fall as a huge mass of billowing yellow. Another noteworthy mention is the good old Polygonatum sp* (Solomon seal). The species of this genus turn a soft, clear yellow in the fall.
In the woodlands
Looking for a more natural take on fall color here at Yew Dell? Take a stroll through our woodlands and see the forest and ecosystem go to ‘sleep’ for the winter. The yellows of the sugar maples, purples of dogwoods, rusty oranges or red oaks, and yellows of hickories make a stunning backdrop for the list of birds that call Yew Dell home in the winter. Species like tanagers and orioles have moved south for the winter but species like dark-eyed junco, brown creeper, and numerous water fowl can be new birds to check off the list as the days shorten, the leaves change color, and you pull that favorite flannel shirt out of the closet!
*Theodore Klein Plant Award winner. Learn more here.
