While it is the week of Christmas, and many gardens are covered in snow, here in Houston it’s Fall. And what a glorious fall it has been. We’ve had one of the best autumns for color in the past 30 years. More about this in an upcoming post (hint hint… lots of gorgeous fall color photos coming this week). I’ve collected three varieties of leaves.
Texas Red Oak: Quercus texana and/or Shumard Red Oak: Quercus shumardii (these are difficult to tell apart) (obovate shape with deep sinuses)
American Sweetgum or Liquidambar: Liquidambar styraciflua (broad and wide palmate shaped leaves)
Bradford Pear Pyrus calleryana ‘Bradford’ (oval leaves)
Shumard Red Oak leaf
Shumard Leaf: macro shot – notice how the color varies from cell to cell (just like the pixels in a TV or Monitor combine to create a picture)
Liquidambar leaf with it’s vivid red tones
These trees are filled with hanging seed balls (which can be quite messy in your garden).
Bradford Pear
Visit Macro Monday to view some very interesting close ups and if you have some macro shots to share, join in the fun. Macro Monday features closeup shots in the garden from fellow bloggers and are listed on Lisa’s Chaos.
villager says
Nice to relive Autumn again through your photos!
Frances says
Beautiful, Jackie, lots to ooh and aah over! I love seeing the cells, like a mosaic. We had a black gum tree in our front yard in The Woodlands that had fabulous fall color. The chinaberries also turned and had that wonderful leaf shape. That was about all the fall color to be had though, glad to hear you are getting the pretty hues now. 🙂
Frances
Carol says
Lovely macros Jackie! Great to see your colorful leaves now that ours have all fallen from the trees! Covered with snow too… the brightness in your photos lifts the spirits! Happy Winter Solstice. Carol
John McDevitt says
Excellent series of photos. We could use a little fall color here in NJ. We dug out from 22 plus inches of snow over the weekend. And winter has only just begun. Thanks for the reminder of gentler, warmer times.
jay says
Gorgeous macros! I love the red oak leaves, particularly, though the mixtures are lovely, too, and the close ups are stunning. You’re right, it seems they change colour cell by cell.
Colleen says
Oh, my goodness, these are gorgeous. I love the light shining through the leaves.
Susan Tomlinson says
We get red oak and Bradford pear here, but not liquidamber, which looks like it has some gorgeous color. Is this a tree that needs warm climates like Houston’s?
I love the tiny little dots of colors, too–they look like tiny, rusty eyes.
Jacqueline D'Elia says
Actually it is listed for Zones 5-9 and there is even a variety without the spiny seed balls.
Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Rotundiloba’
https://hort.ufl.edu/trees/LIQSTYE.pdf
Dave says
Lovely colour, texture and patterns in these leaf photos! I really like the cell pattern photographs. Beautiful images!
Cheers,
Dave