Pacific Dogwoods: One Last Dose of Fall Color Before Welcoming Winter

The rain is falling, the wind is blowing, and on a day like today, I am (for once) content to be indoors.  The storm is doing a number on the autumn leaves, which are fluttering wildly down from trees to lay in thick tapestries of color on the wet earth.  We've had several weeks of glorious color, trees ablaze in crimson and gold, and I have happily followed the progression of autumn from the golden quaking aspens of the high Sierra, through the magical scarlet dogwoods of mid-elevations, all the way down to the mellow-hued riparian willows and riotous colors of introduced ornamental trees which grace neighborhoods of the Central Valley.

But now, with Thanksgiving leftovers [hopefully] gone and sodden leaves blanketing the ground to become next year's mulch, it's time to turn our attention to the winter season and all it entails: sparkling snow in the Sierra, mysterious tule fog in the Valley, stalwart conifers and their intricately beautiful cones, resplendent red berries of Toyon, massive flocks of migratory birds and - of course - Christmas!

But first, let's send autumn out with a fond farewell, one last ode in praise of her splendor, personified in the Pacific Dogwood.

The queen of autumn in the Sierra, and the entire mountainous West, is undoubtedly Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides).  But if she is the queen, Pacific Dogwood (Cornus nutallii) is surely the princess, no less radiant, no less graceful.

Breath-taking in every season, this small tree graces the understory of mid-elevation forests throughout the Sierra Nevada, Klamath Mountains and North Coast Range.  Dogwoods of all varieties (for there are many) thrive in rich, moist but well drained soil and are often found growing near stream banks.

Though it can attain mature heights over 60 feet, the Pacific Dogwood is often found growing as a large, multi-stemmed shrub beneath the shady protection of conifers, including Ponderosa Pine, Incense Cedar, Douglas Fir and White Fir, among others.

While autumnal dogwoods light up the forests with their brilliant scarlet foliage, they also shine during spring (typically April and May) when their graceful branches are adorned with bright green new leaves and large, creamy blossoms.  There are few experiences more magical than walking through a grove of Pacific Dogwoods in full bloom!

The flower "petals" of the Pacific Dogwood are actually bracts (modified leaves).  The true flowers are inconspicuous and clustered at the button in the center of the showy bracts.  Each "flower" is between four and six inches in diameter, and later in the season gives way to showy red fruit which is relished by birds.

It has certainly been a glorious autumn.  Now, I have my eye on the weather updates, eagerly keeping tabs on snowfall in the Sierra in anticipation of our first snowshoe trek of the season!

Happy hiking!