I love color, and find myself mentally attributing various hues to the time of year. Nothing quite says “fall” like the color orange. Vibrant orange Cucurbitas line walkways and grocery aisles. Shades of auburn tumble through the graceful branches of deciduous trees. Cool green lawns seem to disappear beneath a carpet of rich autumn hues.
Chinese Pistache Fall Colors
Pistache up close
Standing at my kitchen window this time of year, I get a grand view of our Chinese Pistache Pistacia chinensis.The leaves drop slowly, as the tree let’s go of summer. I often collect a few of them to decorate our Thanksgiving table. Once the tree is bare for the winter, I get a second view. Our friends directly across the street have a row of Nandina. They’re covered in red, orange and gold leaves, with berries in multiple hues. They’re one of my favorite plants this time of year.
Nandina Berries
As an aside, when I first met my dear friend Nandini I had to work hard not to call her Nandina. I assured her it was a compliment to be mistaken for something so vibrant and alive.
According to Sensational Color:
Orange, is a close relative of red. It sparks more controversy than any other hue. There is usually strong positive or negative association to orange and true orange generally elicits a stronger “love it” or “hate it” response than other colors. Fun and flamboyant orange radiates warmth and energy.
Interestingly, some tones of orange, such as terra-cotta, peach, and rust have very broad appeal. Orange stimulates activity and appetite and encourages socialization.
If you’re lucky enough to live in California, you’ll still see oranges on the tree. Not to be undone, the seed pods on the Magnolia take on a similar hue.
Magnolia Seed Pod
How do you feel about the color orange?
Resources:
“Orange is red brought nearer to humanity by yellow.” Wassily Kandinsky
Gardening Nirvana 