Neighborhood Leaf Walk
On the day before Halloween, Judy and I decided to walk around the neighborhood to check out whatever autumn color was close at hand. There are some nice parks and forest preserves that are not too far away but we just didn’t feel like driving.
There are many old shade trees in our area. In terms of mature street trees, I would guess that maples of various kinds are the most common. They do have good color, though I think they are somewhat overused.
Our local forestry department seems to agree, as they are now promoting a greater diversity of street trees. There is an approved list for parkway trees (which residents can choose from, though the trees are officially City property) that excludes both maples and lindens.
Unfortunately, the only maple species I can identify is the Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum), and that’s because we have one in the back garden. I like to think I know my annuals and perennials pretty well, and I’m not too bad on shrubs. When it comes to trees, though, I basically live in ignorance – though Judy is fairly knowledgeable.
The weather this fall is unusually warm. I wonder if there is any connection between this warmth and my sense that the leaf color has been less synchronized than usual. I have absolutely no evidence to back up this observation.
However, to be on the safe side, I propose the creation of a Leaf Color Coordinating Committee (LCCC, to be known among insiders as the “L triple C”). The LCCC would work to schedule autumn colors among the different tree species in order to maximize the viewing pleasure of the general public.
Though I will admit that it can be very dramatic when one single tree bursts into bright color while its neighbors stay basically green.
This house is less than a block from our own. Empty now, until recently it was occupied by an older person who was something of a recluse. I fear it will be torn down and replaced with something bigger and less appealing. Currently it has the look of an old cottage in the woods. The building used to be completely obscured by the overgrown front yard.
OK, I can recognize this tree – some kind of Buckeye (Aesculus).
This is the view on our street facing west.
When all the leaves drop you can see the underlying shape of the mature shade trees. I can’t make up my mind if this one looks like it is dancing or writhing.
Is it just me or can you also see a face in this bark?
An old tree with bark covered in lichens. Judy knew the species of tree (not a maple) but I can’t remember what she said.
The woodpeckers have been busy with this one. You would think so many holes so close together would have the effect of girdling the tree.
That tree cavity would make a nice home for some birds or critters if it were a few feet higher up. This trunk has an interesting wavy shape – as if there were muscles under the bark. I wonder if this is a result of the cavity.
And now to close on a completely different note. We have these neighbors who just LOVE holidays. Any holiday, especially if it can be celebrated with big inflatable characters. Halloween certainly qualifies – but you will see equally impressive displays for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.
These neighbors and I share a common sensibility, I think. We both scorn timid presentations. What I do with plants, they do with inflatable holiday figures. Even so, I confess I’m relieved that they are not immediately next door, and they probably feel the same way about me.
Goodbye for now!
gardeninacity 
Spent most of my life in Canada and experienced every autumn, yet the colours of the trees still surprise me every fall, Jason.
I agree, they never get old. Btw, Cynthia, is it possible my comments on your blog are going to the spam folder? They seem to just disappear.
Hmmm…. I’ll have to check. Thanks for telling me.
Absolutely lovely. One reason I moved to where I live now is the trees. The trees and your photos are awesome.
Thank you! Hard to imagine life without the fall foliage.
You live in a neighborhood with some nice mature trees! How much more glorious autumn will be once the LCCC is formed and gets to work!
Which just goes to show how desperately the LCCC is needed!
That tree bark with the lichen looks like Shagbark Hickory, maybe? Wow, the view looking west is stunning! I agree re: the autumn color being “different” and not as synchronized as “normal” years. Count me in for the LCCC!
Judy says it’s a Locust. Regarding the LCCC, consider yourself a charter member!
The deciduous trees make any street look beautiful. We have quite a few deciduous trees in Canberra, and they seem have extra vivid colour during time of drought (or just less than average rain)…although I’m sure this could not be a scientific fact.
I love the house with the green (mossy?) roof, and hope it doesn’t get knocked down!
That’s interesting, I wonder if there is a correlation between aridity and color. We’ve had a fairly wet autumn. By the way, it seems like my comments on your blog must still be going to the spam folder.
I must check my spam folder…nice to know you are commenting!
What a beautiful neighborhood. It sure pays to look up!
You’ll miss a lot if you don’t!
It’s a beautiful day in your neighborhood! Love the variety.
It was a beautiful day, especially for November.
Thanks for the photo trip around the ‘hood. I’ve been admiring our trees for days now, but it’s really nice to see how you’ve captured the varied colors. The maples in front of our townhouses along Dodge are Autumn Blaze, prized as much for their fast-growing habit as for their color.
Thanks for the ID. ‘Autumn Blaze’ is a very apt name!
It looks very nice on your street with those lovely old trees. Really nice autumn colours. We are also enjoying all the warm glowing colours, but now we have had the first frost, and soon the trees will be all empty.
With the warm weather the leaves are hanging on longer than usual here.
Beautiful views of your stunning street trees, what an amazing variety of colours! The colours over here have been better than usual I think, thanks to our unusually warm weather and lots of sunshine.
It’s nice to get a big blast of warm color before the snows settle in.
Good idea with LCCC, Jason. I liked your photos of barks and woodpeckers’ holes, the third one is awesome.
Thanks, Nadezda, glad you liked them.
You have some really lovely fall color and big trees right out your front door. The long street view is terrific! The uniform holes look like the work of a sapsucker. Typically it won’t harm the tree. I wrote a post on their feeding holes this past winter (if you’re interested here is the link http://gardeningsoul.blogspot.com/2016/02/yellow-bellied-sapsuckers-and-their.html). Your city has put together a nice list of alternative trees for the parkway. Nice to see lots of natives on the list. It should help diversify the wildlife that visits too. Congratulations on your Cubs win last night!
Funny, we have never seen a sapsucker, though we do see a variety of other woodpeckers: downy, hairy, red bellied, and northern flicker. I suppose the sapsuckers don’t come to feeders.
I still have trees that have yet to turn. Wanted to take some photos yesterday, but it rained all day. When I planted my Lindens thirty some years ago, no one was using them around here.
I actually never thought they were so common around here, but maybe they are in other parts of town.
What a delightful post! So nice to talk a walk with you and Judy. That little house is adorable and has so much potential. Maybe someone who appreciates cottage charm will buy it and lovingly restore it. As for bold decorating…bring it on!
It looks like that little house has been pretty neglected. I hope it can be restored, if someone has a mind to.
Same here—some trees at their peak and others still green. The oaks are so late I think we will still have leaves falling at Christmas, which will be an awful nuisance. Since I live under a dozen behemoths, I’m always eager to get the garden tidy again. Your neighborhood is beautiful. Like you, I hope the little cottage is revived rather than razed.
Are they live oaks around your house?
Marian, can you check the spam folder on your blog? I think my comments must go getting stuck in there. I notice that last one I wrote never appeared.
Your autumn trees are beautiful . We in South Africa have summer now. But Autumn is probably my favorite season.
Thank you. I definitely enjoy autumn, but I find it very hard to pick a favorite season. Definitely not winter, though.
A very nice idea. Perhaps we should start that walk as an annual tradition.
We used to visit a friend, now deceased, who had a cabin near the Indiana Dunes for a Leaf Walk every year. There was a whole group of us. Then we would return to the cabin and have a picnic. John, can you check your spam folder – it seems like my comments must be getting stuck in there.
You are correct. There were two comments that went into the spam file. Hopefully, I have corrected that.
Thanks for being in touch.
Whereas you may have too many maples in your area, I wish our property had more – we only have two and I would love a couple more. That streetscape is beautiful btw – I love streets with a nice thick tree canopy.
I really wish we had more oaks in our area.
Lovely tree walk. What a find now that the overgrowth has been removed– the little house with the mossy roof. I hope it has a future. The tree limbs and trunks are so interesting. As for your neighbors with holiday inflatables, one of my dogs was scared silly when she came face to face with a similar Halloween scenario a week ago. We had to turn around and not continue our walk.
I find the inflatables kind of entertaining, I just don’t want to look at them all the time.
I think a lot of our trees are shedding their leaves before they turn this year. Still weirdly hot and dry here. Weather is supposed to get more seasonal now. We will see. I hope that means rain.
I can certainly see the face in the one tree. I agree about the blow ups. I know people think our garden weird. ha… but do we care…no and as you say I am sure our neighbors with the blow ups don’t care what I think either.
It’s warm, I wouldn’t say hot exactly, around here. Supposed to drop into the thirties for the first time next week.
I believe those are Sapsucker holes. They typically make holes in a line like that. Nice reflection on the leaves and bones of the trees. I do like the old home with the “green” roof. Lovely.
Funny that we have never seen sapsuckers in the area.
I designed a a corner landscape in Evanston many years ago, and was really impressed by how well Evanston takes care of its street trees.
Yes, we recently had a debate about continuing a program to treat American Elms to prevent Dutch Elm disease.
Dancing! Definitely Dancing!
OK, I’ll let you make the call. By the way, can you tell if my comments on your blog are getting stuck in the spam folder?
There is nothing nicer than a street with a canopy of mature trees. Gorgeous! And glad those folks are not my neighbors.
Vert true about the street canopy. Sad that many of the old trees, especially the elms, have died in recent years.
You’ve got some good color starting there. Our trees are almost bare now except for the oaks and beeches.
I think the cavity in that one tree is probably where a limb was. Chances are good that the tree is hollow.
Interesting about the hollow tree. Can a hollow tree live for many years?
Yes, they can live for a long time that way. All they really need to keep them alive is the cambium layer just under the bark. Of course they aren’t as strong when they’re hollow.
I also have trouble identifying trees, but I am told the bark is often a big help… The maples are lovely, but glad to hear your forestry dept is promoting others for more of a mix.
Yes, that’s a good thing. You never know which species will be hit with the next insect pest or disease to arrive from overseas, so the more variety, the better.
Such nice mature trees, so nice to see when you consider how nervous people seem to be about trees these days. Everything has to be either a red maple or a smaller species “suitable to todays smaller properties”. Live a little I say, and plant something majestic.
I completely agree!
I love the idea of a leaf color coordination committee! I was thinking that about our own yard when my husband was proposing planting a tree. I thought, “Which one has the prettiest color as its leaves die?!”
It’s definitely an important consideration.
I agree – the foliage seems particularly uncoordinated this year, even on individual trees.
Wacky weather.
Beautiful street 🙂
Thanks.
Your west facing view of the street is lovely. Not sure I like Halloween and each year it seems to get bigger here in UK. Not looking forward to the inflatables which no doubt will be appearing soon.
I wasn’t sure if Halloween was traditional in the UK. Well, it has its good points, especially if you like to have leftover candy around the house.
It is an American import and the retailers have made it bigger and bigger. Personally I dislike it and wish we stuck with tradition of Bonfire night (5/11) to remember Guy Fawkes and his attempt to blow up parliament. I never have leftover sweets in my house thanks to the teenager.
I’m surprised I haven’t read about NH establishing a LCCC because it would positively affect the bottom line on the tourism budget. Great idea. 🙂 The wind is blowing today and it is raining down leaves.
By now most of the leaves here are also ready for raking.
Around here everyone had ashes, which of course are all dead now. It is good to have diversity, and I agree that we may as well go for majestic when choosing. This summer I put in a sweet gum, even though I will probably not still be living here to see the fun dangly fruits. By all means, lets get these trees organized, for color! Sign me up 🙂
So sad about the ashes. They join the American Elms and Chestnuts in the great arboretum in the sky. Though breeders are hard at work developing resistant varieties that at least come close to the original species. As for sweetgums, they are a scourge to anyone who likes to walk outside in bare feet!
Haha, which is me but so worth it. I wish I had room for a hackberry but as it is trees are pretty stuffed into my yard and beginning to strain away from each other in a somewhat embarrassing way. I’m not worried about the ashes. For one thing, they are pretty trashy, and are prolific seeders. I have a fairly tall specimen from the neighbor’s tree before it died. I’m watching to see. My dad’s property had a large ash thriving at the time of his death a year ago~no sign of the beetles. And I see elms in the forest preserve near me.