Category: Trees & Shrubs | Accent on Natural Landscaping

2019 Fall Colors

October 25, 2019

Reference my post Why the Colors of Fall. This year here in East Central Wisconsin one can really see a difference in the colors of fall. The wet year we’ve had has produced variations in leaf color and the recent mild temperatures have slowed the change. But if you look closely, here and there you’ll find some bright oranges and beautiful golden yellows.

The orange leaves of the Blue Beech aka American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) are flanked by the green leaves of a hawthorn (Crataegus spp) in the foreground and the yellow leaves of an American Hophornbeam ((Ostrya virginiana) in background fall 2019.

The leaves of the American Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana) will turn yellow later in the fall, but its teeny tiny yellow flowers add a touch of cuteness to fall 2109.

Branched Coneflower aka as Brown-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba) is the last thing blossoming in my prairie fall 2019 .

Th leaves of the Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) are typically a lovely reddish orange. Not quite so fall 2019.

The red leaves of the Red Twig Dogwood aka Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea ) are in the background and burgundy leaves of the Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa) are in the foreground fall 2019. The green leaves in the background are non-native Norway Maple (Acer platanoides).

The seedhead of the White Baneberry aka Doll’s Eyes (Actaea pachypoda) are strking fall 2019

The leaves of the Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata) are typically a golden yellow fall 2019.

This mystery tree has beautiful red leathery leaves this fall. I always thought it was an American Beech (Fagus grandifolia), but their leaves are typically more orange.

NASA GLOBE Observer App

August 19, 2019

NASA would like your help in measuring the Earth’s trees using the NASA GLOBE Observer app on your smart phone.

In September 2018, NASA launched an instrument, via the ICESat-2 satellite, called ATLAS which measures many ecological surfaces to determine the health of the world’s resources. This laser-like device measures the satellite’s position, the angle and how long it takes the laser beam to bounce back from the surface it is measuring. They’ve been measuring the elevation of the Earth’s ice, land, water, clouds, and now trees. Here’s where citizen scientists come in.

NASA would like citizen scientists to help validate the tree measurements they are taking from space. By knowing the height of trees, researchers can estimate the health of the Earth’s forests and calculate the amount of carbon dioxide they store.

NASA GLOBE Observer App

The NASA GLOBE Observer app is user-friendly. Besides measuring trees, among other things, it also measures the landscape around you and mosquito habitats. It has a tutorial and helpful hints.

Once you’ve selected your straight tree and staked out a spot about 25 to 75 feet away, you hold the phone in front of your face and angle it to measure the base and then to the tree’s top. Then you take a picture, count your steps to the tree, log your position at its base and the app will calculate the tree’s height. (Verge)

Thanks to the Ecological Landscape Alliance (ELA) for making me aware of this great app.

Dogwoods – Part 2

August 7, 2019

I love the contrasting colors of the Red Twig Dogwood (*Cornus sericea*) against a dark green evergreen tree. Red and green is my favorite color combination.

Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea)

Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea), often referred to as Red Twig Dogwood is another striking shrub because of the red highlights in its growth. This multi-stemmed shrub has red stems which are at their most brilliant in the late winter when the sun begins to shine longer in anticipation of spring. [Read more…]

Dogwoods – Part 1

August 5, 2019

The other day my husband John and I were having breakfast on the deck, overlooking the prairie, and he asked “are those red things on the dogwood berries?” Nope, they were not, but from a distance the bright red stems left from the Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) fruits sure did stand out.

Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)

[Read more…]