It was rainy today, so we repeated a drive we took about a week ago when searching for some late fall colors. We like gaining enough altitude so the changing shades of different plants are set off by the ever-present green of the pines. Last week the yellows and reds were outstanding.
This week the colors were subdued, more browns than anything else. But in the light rain, all the colors are intensified, and Bracken Fern was the star.
Bracken Fern helps give spring its crisp green look, forming a part of the understory below many types of trees. It grows in colonies, with many fronds emerging from a single underground rhizome.
But with the first frosts, the fern changes from green to yellow with a blush of red, to a golden brown as it takes its first step in merging with the forest floor. Like so many changes in the forest, this one too is temporary.
The Bracken will return with the spring, and we’ll be watching for it. If you’d like to know more about how the fantastic fall colors are created, see our earlier piece on the Changing of the Colors.
For More Information:
Fall Colors Across North America
It’s hard to pick a favorite season. Spring with its blossoming wildflowers? Noisy summer with the song of crickets on a balmy night? Or winter, with its fellowship around the warmth of a fire? But autumn is a kaleidoscope, a last brilliant flash of color before the fallen leaves succumb to the smoky fingers of a bonfire.
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