Highland Park Arboretum, October 2012

Hi, everyone - this is going to be a combination of words and pictures because it's also my personal record of my wanderings through the Highland Park Arboretum, literally a gem unknown to most of the people I've talked to until I say the word "Lilac".  Then they nod and say "I've been to the Lilac Festival". 

I personally have avoided the Lilac Festival like the plague, which is one of the drawbacks of being an essentially very shy person.

And I didn't make it in 2012.  But I have been to the Arobretum over and over again since early spring and have learned to love it for exactly what it is - a place where trees of dozens of different types live and thrive. 

Autumn and spring tend to be the "exciting times" of the year, and in the Northeast?  Well, I think we all know that autumn is a time of blazing color and grand exits as trees shed their leaves in preparation for the Grand Silence, which is winter.

So Colorful leaves it is. 

And of course Photobucket is acting up.  Why am I not surprised.  Le sigh...

It's back, so I'm posting.

This is Japanese Maple Red Prince (Acer Palmatum Red Prince).  It's just one of the many types of Japanese Maples in the Park (Arboretum formally, but Park)

This is Japanese Maple Lion's Head.  The tree is a very slow growing Maple and has been specifically bred to appear in an array of colors like this in the autumn.  It's a lovely tree indeed!

There are a couple of these Japanese Maples in the Park.  The tree above is Acer palmatum 'Tobiosho' and is known for its striking autumn color.

And just in case everyone is slightly bored with the Acer palmatums, I'm tossing in the Japanese Stewartia, Stewartia pseudocamillia.  This tree's great beauty lies in its bark which exfoliates normally to show shades of pink, light tan and grey.  The branches are graceful and the entire tree is a beautiful thing, whatever time of year you happen to find it.

Here's a slightly better picture of the exfoliation of the Stewartia.  The color tones of the bark are those of the tree in real life.  Neat, right?

This is Stewartia in your face (I couldn't help it - and this branch was so insistant!  :)  )

This is the fruit of the Oriental Spindle Tree.  The fruit is quite dangerous and should never be eaten.  But it's lovely, nonetheless. 

And this is what the tree looks like.  Again, the bark is extremely interesting and the trees themselves are tandled and twisted like gnarled fingers.

I have better pictures of the tree that I'll put up in a different post. 





This fellow is Acer palmatum 'atropurpuereum' which was developed to show red leaves in the spring shading to light green in the summer and on to deep red in the autumn.  Like the other Japanese maples, its branches are as much part of the beauty as its display of leaves throughout the growing season. 

Another shot of the tree from a different angle.

This was half the fun with taking these pictures!  The light changed and the color changed with it!  My camera, I have discovered, tends to slightly overexpose things, but at least you have the idea.  It's VERY red!

This next tree is not noted for its foliage, but it's bark is a lulu.  This is the "raisin tree" .  It is native to the southeast coast of China.  The bark is marvellous...and the autumn fruits do look like little bunches of something between a grape and a raisin...Pretty neat!!!! 

 This picture of the tree was actually taken in the spring.  I was so impressed by the bark, which isn't dying or anything, that I wanted pictures of it to show folks.  Isn't it incredible?

And here's a shot of its fruit in the autumn.  There are some references to the fruit being edible, but not until it's been cooked.  Personally, I would be cautious until I'd spoken with someone with a great deal more knowledge than I have before I ever tried this fruit. 

But it IS a nifty tree!

Another shot of theTobioshio...the picture doesn't do justice to the color, although it's closer than some others I took.

 

I don't want to wear out my welcome, so I'm going to head out for now.  More posts in a day or two, now that I'm more conversant in getting pictures over to this blog!

Have a great day!

Until next time!