Fall Colors: Purple

Purple is a restful color. Not fiery red, not cool blue--but a pleasant and tranquil mix. We need more purple in our lives. Just a month ago, the color purple was everywhere. Purple asters sprinkled among the goldenrod that carpeted the roadsides, and clusters of purple berries and grapes hung ready to be gobbled by hungry birds and deer. But in December, the flowers are mostly spent and the beautyberry fruit, and poke and virginia creeper berries are mostly gone, save for a few that escaped the cold and the herbivory. Their days are numbered. Too late for Red-spotted Purple butterflies, and too early for violets. But walking around the woods and in my yard, I still was able to find a few bright purples flashes holding out before winter turns the landscape all brown and tan and white. 

In the fall, Sweetgum leaves come in all the colors. This one is purple, but I've found
yellow, orange, red and brown too.

Moss Phlox blossoms in the Playscape at the Nature Center

A clump of Beautyberries that made it through the first frost

A few Georgia Aster blooms are hanging on in our sheltered pond garden

The flowers of Muhly grass are like soft purple clouds in the front yard

The underside of a Crane-fly Orchid leaf (Tipularia discolor) is bright purple surprise

Spores from big white Puff Ball fungi leave purple/brown discs on the grass

 These Purple Cort (Cortinarius) mushrooms were so lovely that I had to include them, even though
I saw these  a few years back on a hike with the Ramblers

Purple Finches came with the migrant warblers and a few have stayed around,
now hanging with the Robins and Cedar Waxwings

Violet Toothed Polypores, I believe. I don't know my fungi. My only clue is the purple edge.