Wildflowers, Part of the Pageantry of Fall Colors

USDA Forest Service Celebrating Wildflowers

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	Wildflowers, Part of the Pageantry of Fall Colors “O while my eye the landscape views, What countless beauties are display’d; What varied tints of nameless hues, — Shades endless melting into shade.” From the poem “Autumn” John Clare, 1821 Look up into the trees and you'll find beautiful vistas of leaves changing color in different regions of the United States in the fall. Look down at the forest floor and you'll find an even greater array of colors. There are approximately 20,000 wildflower species in the United States. The U.S. Forest Service has many stories to share with you about our wildflowers. For many of these wildflowers, fall is the time of the year when they flower. Who can resist the blues and whites of asters, the yellows of goldenrods and sunflowers, and the spectacular red of cardinal flower? Stories Autumn Arrives on the Cedar River National Grassland Autumn has emphatically arrived on the Northern Great Plains and the Dakota Prairie Grasslands. The prairie is transitioning from the exciting greens of summer to its fall wardrobe. Read more… Cranberries, Nature's Garnets, are Ripening Across the Country As we celebrate the autumn season and as holidays approach, many of us will also be thinking of family gatherings and special menus which may include the colorful and healthy cranberry. Knowing some of the plant's history may just help us enjoy this fruit even more. Read more on the USDA Blog… Forest Service Botanist Shares Fall's Native Plant Diversity on South Dakota's Black Hills National Forest Perhaps it’s just me, but I think many people are relieved to see the fall colors and relish the cool mornings here on the Black Hills National Forest. Read more on the USDA Blog… A Coat of Many Colors Cloaks Autumn in the Bitterroot National Forest Several plant species around Montana make their transition from summer to winter unique. This is highlighted in the Bitterroot National Forest. Read more on the USDA Blog… Share the Joy of a Botanist's Annual Pilgrimage to the Darlingtonia Fens of the Eastern Klamath Mountains I dreaded October as a child. Growing up on the Oregon coast, October promised rain and more rain—rain on my birthday, rain on Halloween, rainy rain rain. What a difference 300 miles and the rain shadow of a mountain range makes! October here in far northern California on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest brings me nothing but pleasure. Read more… Consider the Alpine Larch in the Northern Rocky Mountains Do you think that all evergreen conifers are always evergreen? In general, that’s true but the forested landscapes of the northern Rocky Mountains offer an amazing colorful exception to this each fall with the spectacular shows of the Alpine larch (Larix lyallii). Read more… Fall Colors on Alaska's National Forests Offer Beautiful Vistas Did you ever think about fall colors in Alaska? Now’s the time with autumn foliage colors peaking from late August to early October in Alaska’s Tongass and Chugach National Forests. Read more… Fall Colors Usher in Autumn in the Rocky Mountains In Colorado, fall arrives in different ways and at different times around the state. Fall can be a spectacular time of year here, with gorgeous colors set against a dusting of white snow on the higher peaks and the occasional late blooming wildflower. Read more… Fall Wildflowers Are Part of the Fall Colors Parade in the East and South-Central United States Fall is a wonderful time to find an amazing array of wildflowers on your national forests and grasslands. Early morning hikers who are out and about in the hardwood forests of the south-central and eastern United States may be lucky enough to observe the second flowering of dittany (Cunila origanoides). Read more… Fall Colors the Muskeg on Alaska’s Tongass National Forest Muskegs, a colloquial term for peat bogs, blanket 10 percent of the Tongass National Forest. These wetlands range in size from a few square feet to many acres. Over the ages, muskegs formed as Sphagnum mosses, rushes and sedges grew and built up spongy carpets in these very wet, almost treeless areas. Read more on the USDA Blog…
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Last modified: Wednesday, 28-Nov-2012 11:28:32 EST