Seasonal Colour, late October

As we move towards leaf drop, there is still colour out there. Many are surprised to learn that the fields and barrens afire owe their palette to the blueberries cultivated there. Even wild lowbush blueberry plants turn crimson. Huckleberries too may be orange or red. On buildings Boston Ivy or Virginia Creeper are both red. My Euonymus shrub is flashing red, with few green leaves yet.

For those who grow them, the Chinese lanterns and Silver Dollars are ready for gathering. These popular annuals are cultivated for the interest they add to dried bouquets. Winterberry is brightening up the roadside thickets. One of our most common native shrubs, it is also known as Canada Holly. Caution should be shown with these berries around the dinner table, they are not edible.

Larches are bright yellow now in southwestern bogs. In a month’s time these decduous conifers will be denuded as they lose their needles. Lowgrowing vines such as Blackberry and Dewberry have turned purplish.

Our colourful foliage was delayed a couple of weeks, but Nova Scotia’s landscape is now ablaze.

Blueberries, photo by Graham MacKay

larch off in the distance, turning yellow, photo by Marian Munro


Burning bush, photo by Marian Munro

Red Maple, photo by Marian Munro