Fall is for foliage, but also for – fruits. We sometimes miss this for landscape plants, blinded by apples and apple cider and the final harvests from summer gardens. Yet there is much to enjoy. So here is a short view of a few of The Fruits of Orrville, Ohio (Wayne County) with a finale the finale from Otterbein University in Franklin County.
We started above with the bubble-gum colored fruits of Symphoricarpos. I am not sure of the species or cultivar of this particular street-planted beauty, though possibly it is Amethyst™ Symphoricarpos x doorenbosii 'Kordes'. In doing a little fact-checking on the genus Symphoricarpos, I learned that it is in the Caprifoliaceae, the honeysuckle family, and that the Latin genus name comes from the Greek words “symphorein”, meaning “to bear together” and “karpos”, meaning “fruit”.
Next, is one of our few native fruit trees, fruiting abundantly in the backyard of the Eugene Pouly Domaine in Orrville. It is persimmon (Diospyros virginiana), Tasty in a sick-sweet way alone or in a pudding, but in mouth sucked-dry mode if eaten before mushy ripe.
Then, a “fruiting structure”, of another ilk, of the pear trellis rust fungus (presumably Gymonsporangium sabine), which we have described in two earlier alerts this season, and in this case on the underside of a leaf of a Callery pear in Orrville’s Cornerstone Park. This fungus cycles between junipers and Pyrus (pear).
I have not gotten around to doing a bygl-alert on it yet, but have come to appreciate Canna more this year – so to start here, check out these gumball-like fruits seen in Indiana this August and in Orrville recently.
Next is a ‘Winterthur’ Viburnum nudum outside the Orrville Library, with its pink, tuning to blue, fruits. Also included below is a picture of a ‘Winterthur’ taken years ago at Secrest Arboretum that also highlights the fall foliage combination with the fruits.
Just a few of the fruits of Fall. And finally, from a walk last week in Westerville near Otterbein University; Here come the crabapples!
