The burning bush never disappoints!
Even when the maples are barely blushing...
...the burning bush is fully aglow!
Add a touch of sunlight...and the bushes are flaming red.
We planted red sunset maples down our driveway five years ago.
The wee trees had vibrant red leaves when we stuck them in the ground...
and we envisioned a canopy of red in the autumns of the future.
Somehow...our red sunsets are not living up to expectations.
Though they have the odd red leaf...many branches are still totally green.
It's been the same story every fall...
and the people at the garden shop have no explanation as to why the leaves are not turning red...
before falling to the ground.
So I asked 'google'...and now I know.
The anthocyanin pigments that are responsible for the red leaves of the maple are formed in the cell sap inside the vacuole when sugars combine with complex compounds called anthocyanidins. The colors vary because of differences in amounts of soluble sugars in the leaves for anthocyanin production.
Did you get that?
Oh...and there was one sentence that I could understand...
"As the tree gets older it will show the color better."
O.K. I'll wait until next year...and see if they show their true colours!
Have a wonderful day...
Beautiful bushes. Do you know their true name, please? I wondered at first if they were Eunymous, as we have a gorgeous red one, but it is larger and taller.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking out my window at a burning bush...love that thing. Yours are wonderful. I've got to get one for my own yard. Hope that in years to come your maples will not disappoint. Have a great day editing or whatever you're up to these days.
ReplyDeleteThose red bushes catch my eye everytime..I have a few little bushes that turn red in fall but I want more!!
ReplyDeleteJudy, hope your maples show spendid reds next fall..they are after getting older right?
They really are like burning bushes, aren't they? The maples will (as we all do!) get older and you'll have your fall colour - but I wonder how long you'll have to wait.
ReplyDeleteSo now you have to figure out what determines the sugar levels??? Let's see... if the trees were planted somewhere drier? or maybe an early fall frost? or maybe more hot sunshine in the summer? or... Just curious... When you figure it out, you can let me know why this year, when everything was green and growing happily here, the bougainvilleas look so puny. Actually, we could probably come up with a long list of horticulturally related "why?"s - but your burning bushes are gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI remember the first time I saw burning bushes in the snow back in Pennsylvania. Now I think I need to get some for our front yard here. Thanks for the reminder and remember, good things come to those who wait (like red maple leaves?)
ReplyDeleteDon't we just google everything these days? It reminds me of the good old days when we would take out the encylopedia that every good home had. ..and "looked up" info on our question of the day.
ReplyDeleteThose bushes are truly bright and vibrant.
Your bushes are burning beautifully. We have 3 that aren't burning as well. I think they need more sun. Hope it won't be too much longer until your maple trees are also burning.
ReplyDeleteBurning bushes just glow - they are aptly named. I hope your maples show a little colour next year.
ReplyDeleteYour burning bushes are so colorful Judy! It's too bad that the maple trees you planted aren't giving you the same show of red every autumn but as you read perhaps as they get older that will happen?
ReplyDeleteThe trees here in New York are taking a much longer time to turn colors. Even my fig tree still has green leaves and usually by this time of the year all the leaves would have yellowed and fallen off!
That explanation sounded to me like it would like some sugar water.
ReplyDeleteWe have a Queen Elizabeth Maple that we planted in Spring 2009 and it's supposed to get yellow leaves ... have yet to see them .. they turn from green to brown.
Glad you added that final explanation!! :0)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful color!
We are just like those trees....we get more colorful with age!!!
ReplyDeleteThat's funny! They are pretty though!
ReplyDeleteIt has really been beautiful here this year! I love these burning bushes! ♥
ReplyDeleteMy burning bush is half-way along. The are so pretty when completely red - and the birds love the little orange berries too.
ReplyDeleteOur scarlet leaves are mostly down - gold and burnished bronze are left now. We've been having some mild weather so the show should last for another week or so.
Good eye on that verse :)
My gardening friend says its "sleeping, creeping, leaping". The first year, nothing happens. The second year, it's moving slowly. Then , finally, the third year, the blossoms (or whatever I'm waiting for) appear. I'm not patient. I want my lilacs to bloom as soon as I plant them.
ReplyDelete