Fall Leaf Color

New England is a highly popular destination spot this time of year. After all, everyone has heard about the brilliant fall leaf color in the Northeast. I want you to hear it here first, though - New England is overrated.

That's right. And the 49ers can beat the snot out of the Patriots, too. Take that, New England.

Throughout California - whether it's along the coast, in the interior valleys or mountains, there's a color spectacle of fall leaf color. Triggered by shortening days and cooling temperatures, the vivid autumn palette of reds, oranges, golds and browns occur. Besides serving as a nice weekend sightseeing drive, the local fall color is perfect for those shopping for a tree of their own. After all, raking up leaves on a brisk windy day is what childhood memories are made of, right?

While on your drive, be especially observant of any trees you might like. If you don't know the name, pick a leaf as a sample to take to your local nursery for identification.

One of the trees you're more likely to run into where I live in the San Francisco Bay Area is the liquidambar. Also known as sweet gum, this pyramidal tree has large, maple-shaped leaves. They turn from bright green to yellow and then to red this time of year. At any one time, all three colors (as well as brown) can be found. An added advanatge of the liquidambar is that its leaves are one of the longest-lasting for color. Some disadvanatges is that they bear prickly brown seed pods in the spring and their roots are known to break up concrete. Never plant liquidambars within 20 or 30 feet of patios, driveway, sidewalks, etc.

Other maple choices might include the sugar maple, Norway maple and Japanese maple.

The sugar maple is known for producing sap for maple syrup. The leaf sugars in its leaves, though, turn them a golden yellow. With full sun, a red pigment is produced to dye its foliage. Norway maples produce dense patterns with its large leaves that turn brilliant yellow. The Japanese maple is a small, formal tree often used in patios or in containers. There are both lace-leaf varieties offering delicate green or red foliage, as well as a larger maple-leaf type. Both can be controlled anywhere from just a few feet to 15 feet.

Other beautiful leaves can be found in everything from oaks, dogwoods, birches, gingkos, sumacs, sourwoods and hawthornes to colorful shrubs like cotoneaster, magnolia, nandina, mahonia, photinia and viburnum.

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