Shelagh Fritz, the head gardener on Alcatraz, wrote a great post yesterday about Fall color succulents in our Mediterranean climate. She even touched on the summer leaf-drop of Aeoniums that I posted about recently. She has lots of gorgeous Spring/Fall comparison photos, and it’s a nice read to boot!
(From Shelagh’s post…)
“Another response is a change in leaf color. Chlorophyll is responsible for the green that we see in plants; but there are other pigments in plants that give red, blue, orange and yellow colors. It is thought that in response to stress, plants will show pigments that would otherwise be hidden. Anthocyanin and betalain are pigments that give a red hue.
“Several succulents on Alcatraz are now showing their true colors. Crassula ovata, the common Jade plant, normally has a leaf edge ringed in red, but now has the entire leaf deepened in a shade of red and while the red edge is very brilliant…”
Crassula ovata (common Jade), in the rainy Winter and Spring. Photo by Shelagh Fritz
Crassula ovata (common Jade) in the dry seasons of Summer and early Fall. Photo by Shelagh Fritz
Visit The Gardens of Alcatraz blog to read the full post and see the rest of Shelagh’s photos!
boZannical Gardens 