Crow’s Nest: fall color update

By Daniel Barringer, Preserve Manager

Fall color is progressing, with the red maples in the floodplain forests of French Creek nearing their peak.

Above, you can see the yellow Adirondack chairs and the tiny library nestled between two farm fields. The maroon tree at the lower right is a grove of black gum, Nyssa sylvatica, which always has outstanding—and early—fall color. Most of the rest of the bright colors are red maple, Acer rubrum.

Fall foliage is not the only colorful thing going on right now—there are still plenty of flowers, such as these asters, blooming. The spicebush is turning yellow (below, in one of the kids’ play areas at Crow’s Nest) while many other plants are still green.