Color

So important to me – COLOR. And autumn really brings it to me. Now, in early autumn, a small tree, Winged Sumac (Rhus copallinum), is bringing joy to my heart with its color.

In spring, a tree with blooms that attract so many pollinators that the tree itself seems to buzz with activity.

But in autumn its emerald leaves begin to lose their chlorophyll, exposing the crimsons, saffrons, and marmalades. Rich colors to brighten even the grayest of days.

And on sunny, crisp days, when the weather is totally perfect, those colors sing to me.

Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.