Taking a drive around Lexington on Saturday afternoon 11/11/23 after our farmers market wrapped up, I was delighted to find that there was still stellar fall color on display. If you go out, Ashland Park and Chevy Chase neighborhoods were just chock full.



These first two are from the Ginkgo biloba-lined street in the Ashland Park neighborhood named...Catalpa Street.


This is a fat 'n sassy Asimina triloba - Pawpaw - at the Henry Clay estate, Ashland.


These two Cornus kousa - Kousa Dogwood - are acquitting themselves well under the canopy of mature oaks and sweetgum.


This happy healthy Hamamelis vernalis - Vernal Witch-hazel - is an amazing many-stemmed individual, and its fall foliage display is only outmatched by its late winter floral fragrance, again at the Ashland estate grounds.


This massive Quercus rubra presides over a property whose landscape I managed long ago (34 years!) in the Ashland neighborhood.



This last pair of pictures is of THE SAME TREE - one backlit by the afternoon sun, and the second on the sunny side of this fine Acer rubrum - Red Maple.

Our fall color is still going pretty decent here but starting to wind down in some places now. More leaves on the ground in places than on trees but this was a good year for color and it lasted longer than normal.

Well, it didn't stop there - except that the avalanche of red from the outstanding Acer rubrum selections in the landscape was only surpassed by the great red wave (Roll Tide) of the University of Alabama that swept through Commonwealth Stadium and left the University of Kentucky Wildcats washed up on the meager beaches of the Bluegrass...





Red Maple after Red Maple after Red Maple...until finally a very handsome Ginkgo broke up the seeming welcome mat for the Crimson Tide.




These three Liriodendron tulipifera - Tuliptree, Yellow Poplar - are slightly past their golden prime, but show their statuesque form and capability in the urban landscape.



This is a great example of a mature Liquidambar styraciflua - Sweetgum - showing the range of interesting colors that this species is known for.



Somewhat younger - but no less impressive - this Tuliptree glistens in afternoon autumn light.








It is really hard to find a reason to not post images of every Nyssa sylvatica - Blackgum - that I come across. The vivid glossy foliage exhibits hues from yellows through oranges through each shade of red imaginable. Throw in a bit of burgundy, and that about rounds it out.

Good enough to eat...

@ ViburnumValley
Thank you for the fall tour showing the beautiful trees showcasing the color palette
around your town. The sunlight just makes them all glow . Something I can't ever quite get in a picture. You have captured them perfectly.

I love all the fall color! Thank you John. Our climate does not encourage much excitement in the autumn - except the poison ivy - a reliable performer.

Ginkgos lining Catalpa Street - someone's idea of a joke?

It's a head-scratcher for sure.

The neighborhood (Ashland Park) is named for the farm that was developed into a residential area: Henry Clay's estate from the mid 1800s, Ashland. There still are many old Blue Ash (Fraxinus quadrangulata) growing on the remaining property, and all around the neighborhood. Here's one, and another:




One avenue that adjoins the Ashland estate is Sycamore Road - and it IS lined with Platanus occidentalis. Oddly - except for Ashwood Drive where some of the big old Blue Ash like the one here are located - those are the only streets with plant names. And I erred: it is Catalpa Road, not Catalpa Street, that is lined with the golden Ginkgo clan.

I deserve a good whack with a Carya stick...

ViburnumValley said: It's a head-scratcher for sure.

The neighborhood (Ashland Park) is named for the farm that was developed into a residential area: Henry Clay's estate from the mid 1800s, Ashland. There still are many old Blue Ash (Fraxinus quadrangulata) growing on the remaining property, and all around the neighborhood. Here's one, and another:




One avenue that adjoins the Ashland estate is Sycamore Road - and it IS lined with Platanus occidentalis. Oddly - except for Ashwood Drive where some of the big old Blue Ash like the one here are located - those are the only streets with plant names. And I erred: it is Catalpa Road, not Catalpa Street, that is lined with the golden Ginkgo clan.

I deserve a good whack with a Carya stick...

Carya stick or hickory stick…? Ouch..
Those trees look ancient…the top is missing …but it's still sending up branches. What beautiful tree. However the left ziggy lower thick branch needs to be trimmed off. Trees like to look stylish and balanced too.

I think trees should be allowed to express their own characters. That old Blue Ash is majestic.

porkpal said: Our climate does not encourage much excitement in the autumn - except the poison ivy - a reliable performer.

Poison ivy...

I have some awfully purdy sassafras...


And sumac

fragrant sumac


maple


rabbit

stone
Lovely fall colors and the rabbit… now what are ya gonna do with it. I caught a raccoon in a live cage and there was no one to take it the local animal shelter suggested letting it go … so I let it go.. the intention was to catch all the feral cats that were picking on mine.
We have rabbits sneak in too but our cats keep them away most of the time.

Fall color front garden.

bumplbea said: stone
Lovely fall colors and the rabbit… now what are ya gonna do with it. I caught a raccoon in a live cage and there was no one to take it the local animal shelter suggested letting it go … so I let it go..

Gave rabbit to cat.

Those damn raccoons beat up the cats too... May even kill them.

At my house they kill chickens... I try very hard to catch and bury...

The last one... killed every bird in the pen that he broke into... taking only one...

The people that catch and dump make the problem worse... after being caught, they don't go in the trap...

There's recipes online for the daring...
Try this one... looks yummy!
https://www.seriouseats.com/ho...

When I catch cats... I open the trap and let them out... bycatch...

I had a bobcat visiting for a while last summer... I was glad that I was able to discourage it w/o harming it...

stone
I am sorry to hear the raccoons have attacked your chickens . That is so heart breaking.
I have lost fish in my pond that I had for years and had grown huge. I keep a pond knocker to keep the fish safe. The knocker had broken one night and I didn't realize it and in one night the raccoons ate all my cat fish and koi I had for years. Even fish become pets. Fed them by hand every day. No more fish lately just tired of the worry.

Raccoons around here have attacked my cats the vet bill… 😱 i yi yi yiii… and thank goodness they have survived. I bring the cats all in at night to keep them safe. They are my vermin hunters and keep them out of the pastures and garden .

bumplbea said:
Raccoons around here have attacked my cats and thank goodness they have survived.

But... then you let the raccoon out of the trap to continue the bad actions?

I don't go out hunting raccoons, but when they come into my fenced yard and break into the hen houses... or even bite the birds through the wire?
Those bad boys need to be stopped.

It's a tricky endeavor having chickens even in a hen house. If the critters are hungry and find any source of food they will troll the area for food consistently. I have seen that exact scenario happen over and over again.

I had to let the raccoon go . I was after the feral cats that also pic on my cats to catch and had been taking the cats to the shelter . I have been doing that all summer and caught a raccoon one time. The shelter couldn't take it and told me to let it go . I drove far off in another county to a Nat'l forrest to let the raccoon go. He was huge and tore up the metal cage .

I did not let it out in the same area near where I live. They are lil terrors and can be quite scary especially if at night slug hunting if you run into one and he is huge and stands up on his hind legs hissing …. I don't slug hunt at night any more …switched to Sluggo..

I have stopped feeding the cats outside and haven't seen a raccoon around since. No food available for them … no more fish either… I live next door to an old growth forest the deer are always a problem. Far worse than the raccoons. For years I hadn't seen flowers in my front garden no matter what I did. Until using Plantskyyd… that works… Last summer the deer jumped the fence and climbed up on my porch and helped themselves to most of the lily buds growing in pots. OUCH‼️
We have herds of deer and elk too.
It's always something.

I just ran across this thread. I am always interested in seeing and appreciating VV's examples of stately native trees in their fall finery. I thought I would post some pictures of my trees from this fall - a hodge-podge assortment acquired over the years. I think it's fair to say they are universally less stately than those VV showed, but may still be of interest to some.
I start with not-so-stately native Fagus grandiflora - mine is 20 years old and is still just 3 ft tall. Not a dwarf, just a reluctant grower, I guess. Here he is in the same flimsy deer-protection I fitted out for him 20 years ago.

Next is Acer triflorum. More notable for his fine bark texture, but his fall color isn't too shabby.



Dirca palustris is one of my favorite woodland shrubs. It sports a mellow yellow fall color. His main attribute is his super-early spring pendant yellow flowers.

A lesser-known Missouri native is Dirca decipiens. I only have a small specimen - can't really tell much difference yet.

Parrotia persica in my yard has a vibrant yellow fall color, but his cousin Parrotia subaequalis favors flashier fall colors.

It's hard to compete with Japanese maples for fall color. Among my finest are Acer japonicum Green Cascade.

Acer shirasawarum Palmatifolium

Acer palmatum Omurayama

Acer japonicum

Acer palmatum dissectum Waterfall

Acer palmatum Linearilobum

A lesser known maple is Acer pilosum var stenolobum

And Acer mono is a reliable brilliant yellow every fall

Pistacia chinensis is another reliable fall performer



Several woodland shrubs turn a vibrant yellow in fall.
Lindera benzoin.


It's cousin L. obtusiloba has more interesting shaped leaves.


Calycanthus florida

Cladrastis kentuckea

Lagerstroemia is red/yellow

Viburnum carlesii is mainly known for it's sweetly scented early spring flowers, but it sports burgundy leaves in fall to contrast with its purple berries.

Enkianthus perulatus turns bright red in fall.

Zelkova sinica is still a small sapling in my yard, but early indications suggest beautiful fall color.

An oddity, Sinowilsonia henryii is a shrub which isn't hardy in my zone, so has to overwinter in my garage. It's leaves turn a vibrant yellow in fall.

Sadly, most of the fall color is waning rapidly around my area. Time to shift focus to next spring!

Quite a colorful collection - many varieties that are new to me. Thanks!

This is the last of fall seasonal color.
Entry pic. Weeping atlas over arch. Dwarf laceleaf acer palmatum. Yellow leaves on right side is a weeping cherry tree.