What's autumn like in west Oregon?

[Fiddlehead]

I think falls in W. Oregon are great! But they are schizophrenic. Early fall is usually mild and sunny, at least here in SW Oregon. But late fall is very wet, the spigot usually gets turned on about Oct. 15. In fact the statistically wettest day of the year at most stations in W. Oregon is right about Thanksgiving. Thereafter it is essentially the Oregon winter. Cool, grey, and rainy.

Definitely a few deciduous trees and shrubs here and there that give a nice show most years. But we must concede to the superiority in color of the MidAtlantic, New England, Appalachian, and Upper Midwest autumns. That said up front, we do well. Our only competitors out west are the Colorado Rockies.

[mdvaden]

Is that that 1st day of autumn

Here's some autumn color at Multnomah Falls. For VictorianPunk, that's about 30 minutes from Portland. Portland has the bigleaf maples too. The forests have some reds, but much is in understory where vine maple and dogwood grow. Plenty of big tree color in urban landscaping.

[juggler]

I would just like to point out that there is a big advantage to having a mixture of evergreens and deciduous trees here in NW Oregon --- Sure, New England may have gorgeous colors for a few weeks in the fall, but what is left after all the leaves drop? Nothing but drab gray spindly branches. Here we still have plenty of greenery throughout the winter.

[mdvaden]

The Japanese Garden is rather specialized for design, but its a good example of Japanese maples, which are common landscape trees in west Oregon. I think the vine maples are rather nice too.

And like Juggler replied, has the evergreens. The big evergreens in the backdrop are native trees, like Douglas fir.

[Fiddlehead]

Originally Posted by juggler

I would just like to point out that there is a big advantage to having a mixture of evergreens and deciduous trees here in NW Oregon --- Sure, New England may have gorgeous colors for a few weeks in the fall, but what is left after all the leaves drop? Nothing but drab gray spindly branches. Here we still have plenty of greenery throughout the winter.

Good point!

[mamh]

Hi
Another plant that throws a real color show here in the valley are the vineyards..The leaves turn all colors and so very pretty..There is a shrub which is on my buy list later this winter called a beauty berry that is to die for when its berries turn bright purple in the fall and last into the winter..
We do have colors out here..
Come see..

[WyoNewk]

I've travelled fairly extensively, and to me one of the prettiest places I've seen for fall scenes is around Medford, OR. My late wife was from northern NJ (Westwood), and she absolutely LOVED the west.

That said, she never got to Oregon, and as others have said, western Oregon gets bucketsful of moisture in the late fall and early winter -- most in the form of FOG! (Ugh)