标签 落羽杉 下的文章

秋季的落羽杉，美国佐治亚州 Cypress trees in autumn, Georgia (© Chris Moore/Tandem Stills + Motion)

美国南部的别样秋景 Leaf-peeping Southern style

乔治亚州的柏树

秋天的树叶是秋天的标志，当人们想到法兰绒、灯芯绒、南瓜香料和其他东西时。阳光明媚的白天和清爽的夜晚邀请我们走出去欣赏树叶的颜色变化。虽然有些人可能认为新英格兰的枫树是窥视树叶的金标准，但其他人则会把奖品授予落基山脉的白杨或南方的柏树。

佐治亚州的这些秃顶柏树变成了明亮的金色、橙色和深红色，与北方的竞争对手相媲美。大多数种类的柏树都是常绿的，但秃顶的柏树是落叶的，它们的花边针叶在秋天变成鲜艳的铜色，在冬天秋天，然后树木在春天长出一套新的针叶。秃柏原产于美国东南部，在墨西哥湾沿岸的密西西比河流域盛产。它们在路易斯安那州的河口是一个熟悉的景象，也生长在大西洋中部的沿海平原，就像这片帝王林。秃柏树在河岸和沼泽等潮湿条件下茁壮成长。这些生长缓慢的植物通常高达100英尺以上，为两栖动物、鱼类和鸟类提供了重要的栖息地，并保护海岸线免受侵蚀和洪水。如果你在一年中的这个时候来到这个地区，在温和的巨人们脱掉秋季服装之前，前往沼泽地观看秋季展览。

Bald cypress trees in Georgia

Fall foliage is the hallmark of autumn, when thoughts turn to flannel and corduroy, pumpkin spice and s'mores. Sunny days and crisp nights invite us to step outside to enjoy the changing colors of the leaves. While some may consider the maples of New England the leaf-peeping gold standard, others would give the prize to the aspens of the Rocky Mountains or the cypress trees of the South.

These bald cypress trees in Georgia turn brilliant shades of gold, orange, and crimson that rival their northern competitors. Most varieties of cypress are evergreen, but bald cypresses are deciduous—their lacy needles turn this vibrant copper color in autumn, fall in winter, then the trees grow a new set of needles in the spring. Bald cypresses are native to the southeastern US and flourish in the Mississippi River basin along the Gulf Coast. They're a familiar sight in the bayous of Louisiana and also grow in the coastal plains of the mid-Atlantic, like this regal grove. Bald cypresses thrive in wet conditions like riverbanks and swamps. Commonly reaching well over 100 feet tall, these slow growers provide important habitat for amphibians, fish, and birds, and they protect coastlines from erosion and flooding. If you're in the area this time of year, head to the swamp to see the autumn display before the gentle giants shed their fall outfits.