TURNING OVER NEW LEAVES

While tourists flock to the New England states each autumn to see the leaves turn colors, county residents need not go that far to see some spectacular fall foliage. Here are a few of the trees native to the area that are deciduous and will go through their seasonal color change in the coming weeks. Though these trees’ natural habitat may be along mountain streams or in damp valleys, most can be successfully grown in any Orange County yard.

CALIFORNIA BLACK OAK(a.k.a. Kellogg oak) Appearance: trunk often bends or leans; irregular, broad, rounded crown of stout, spreading branches; height is between 30 and 80 feet. Leaves: big, jaded leaves three to eight inches long; elliptical, usually seven-lobed, each lobe having a few bristle-pointed teeth; turning yellow or brown in autumn. Habitat: sandy, gravelly, and rocky soils of foothills and mountains at elevations of 1,000 to 8,000 feet. CALIFORNIA SYCAMORE(a.k.a. buttonball, buttonwood, plane tree) Appearance: many large branches, sometimes branching near the ground in a “V” or “J” shape; main trunk often leans, with smaller branches growing in a zigzag pattern; grows to 35 feet. Leaves: palmately-lobed leaves are as wide as they are long; turning yellow, orange and brown in autumn. Habitat: found along stream banks and in damp valleys; found below 4,000 feet elevation. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WALNUT(a.k.a. California black walnut) Appearance: small- to medium-sized tree that grows to 40 feet; low, wide-crowned tree; trunk usually forked near the base. Leaves: feather-like, six to nine inches long; oblong lance-shaped and finely saw-toothed; turning yellow or brown in autumn. Habitat: moist soils along streams in canyons and foothills and in gravelly ravines; up to 2,500 feet elevation. BIG-LEAF MAPLE(a.k.a. broad-leaf, canyon, Oregon or white maple) Appearance: small- to large-sized tree with broad, rounded crown of spreading or drooping branches; height varies from 30 to 70 feet. Leaves: six to 10 inches long; rounded, with five deep long-pointed lobes; turning orange or yellow in autumn. Habitat: stream banks and in moist canyon soils; found between 3,000 and 5,500 feet elevation. BOX ELDER(a.k.a. ash-leafed or Manitoba maple) Appearance: small- to medium-sized tree with short trunk and broad, rounded crown; grows to between 30 and 60 feet. Leaves: opposite, feather-like; six inches long with slender axis; leaflets wide, short-stalked, coarsely saw-toothed; turning yellow or sometimes red in autumn. Habitat: wet soils along stream banks and in valleys; found up to 6,000 feet elevation. BLACK COTTONWOOD(a.k.a. western balsam poplar, California poplar) Appearance: grows to between 60 and 120 feet; no branches for about half the height of the tree; open crown of erect branches. Leaves: three to six inches long; broadly ovate, slightly notched at base and long-pointed at tip, finely wavy-toothed; turning yellow in autumn. Habitat: moist to wet soils of valleys, mainly on stream banks and flood plains but also found on upland slopes; found up to 9,000 feet elevation. FREMONT COTTONWOOD(a.k.a. Alamo Gila cottonwood) Appearance: trunk usually leans or is bent; first branches about halfway up the tree; main branches are thick, spreading and drooping; grows to between 60 and 110 feet. Leaves: triangular-shaped, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches long; turning clear yellow in autumn. Habitat: stream banks, deep valley floors and low hills; to 2,000 feet elevation. VELVET ASH(a.k.a. Arizona or desert ash) Appearance: medium-sized tree 24 to 36 feet tall; open, rounded crown of spreading branches and leaflets of varying shape. Leaves: feather-like, about three to six inches long; lance-shaped to elliptical, pointed at ends and slightly wavy-toothed; turning yellow in autumn. Habitat: moist soils along streams, rivers and washes, usually in canyons in mountain and desert regions; found between 2,500 and 7,000 feet elevation. ARROYO WILLOW Appearance: small, stout trunk; grows irregularly broad toward the crown; reaches a height of up to 36 feet. Leaves: three to six inches long, widest above the middle; turning yellow in autumn. Habitat: wet, well-drained soils along streams, especially in narrow arroyos (gullies); found between sea level and 6,000 feet elevation. PACIFIC WILLOW Appearance: small- to medium-sized tree with a rounded crown; grows to 60 feet. Leaves: two to five inches long; long-pointed and often rounded at the base; turning yellow or orange in autumn. Habitat: well-drained sandy soils to rocky or gravelly soils from sea level up to 8,400 feet; along banks and sand bars of mountain streams and lakes, often in dense clumps. RED WILLOW(a.k.a. polished or smooth willow) Appearance: small- to medium-sized tree, reaching a maximum height of 50 feet; straight, unbranched tree with a well-formed crown. Leaves: three to seven inches long; broadest near the middle and rounded at tips and base; turning yellow to red in autumn. Habitat: up to 4,500 feet elevation in well-drained soils like those found along the banks of mountain streams. Source: “The Complete Trees of North America,” Thomas S. Elias, Outdoor Life/Nature Books, New York, 1980; “Trees of the West,” Mabel Crittenden, Celestial Arts, Millbrae, California, 1977.