Gorgeous red leaves on a tree in the Sophia Gardens car park in Cardiff on October 20 – probably a member of the cherry family (Prunus)?
I may be wrong, but it seems to me that some autumns are rubbish, damp and brown, and some are sparkling, with crisp days and wonderful colours. I think this is a good year, possibly because we had a couple of weeks of quite cold, dry weather with easterly winds earlier in October. Or maybe I just caught the right moment to look this time, catching the crimsons and golds.
The same Sophia Gardens tree exactly a fortnight earlier, on October 6
Another red tree near the Hilton Hotel, Cardiff – this one is a beautiful oak, possibly Quercus rubra
Euonymus alatus in my garden, also called the winged spindle tree or burning bush
In autumn the leaves of this Acer palmatum ‘Dissectum Atropurpureum’ in my garden turn from a dark purple red to crimson
As well as the reds, there are golden leaves this autumn, too.
My full moon maple, Acer shirasawanum ‘Aureum’, is changing colour beautifully this year – in wetter years the leaves just go soft and brown and then shrivel
A red oak turns to gold in Bute Park
Although I call it a ‘red oak’, it could be one of many Quercus species in the Lobatae section of the genus, which have sharp tips to the lobes of the leaves
These lindens or limes (Tilia) in Cathays, the civic and university quarter of Cardiff, show how some are lemon yellow and some nearby still totally green
Finally, these pretty trees are in the same car park as the red tree at the top of the post. I didn’t get close enough to identify them. The shape looks like poplar but I had a sneaky suspicion they might be an ornamental variety of ash (Fraxinus)?
However, I am kicking myself as I didn’t recognise they were hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)! After following a hornbeam for a whole year you would think I would be able to spot one. But I have never seen them so golden before. I had a closer look a fortnight later…
Hornbeam leaves on November 3
And for the record, the red tree is now bare…
The bare cherry tree on November 3, with hornbeams beyond
The Squirrelbasket 
Outside school last week there were some gorgeous leaves just turning red … drove past yesterday and the trees are bare already 😦 We’re going out for a short walk in a minute and I’m hoping to catch some colour Pat (although it is really dull today).
Gorgeous time of year!
Yes, but as you say, blink and you’ll miss it 🙂
you just given me some ideas for the care home
I’m very pleased to be of help! Feel free to share your idea, if you want to…
All the best 🙂
Stunning colours I remember so well. Thanks Pat.
Although most of the best reds don’t seem to be British natives…
All the best 🙂
while my Japanese maple and Prunus nigra glow with fresh red leaves ;~)
Of course! I keep on forgetting you live in an “upside down” world!
Best wishes for Spring 🙂
There is some wonderful autumn colour this year.
Indeed – and I see they say that October was a particularly dry month, so I guess that’s why.
All the best 🙂
I’ve been particularly impressed by autumn this year, the colours are very vibrant in London too, the streets are full of spectacular bright red, yellow and orange leaves.
I think it must be the dry weather – the golden wonder goes on and on!
All the best 🙂