Shumard oak leaves
I noticed these wild looking leaves. The leafy part was turning red, pretty normal during the autumn, but the veins were quite vibrant green. I had never seen that color combination before. I love it when I discover artistic theories – color theory in this instance – occurring on their own in the natural world.
I had a heck of a time identifying the tree and its leaves. The Shumard oak (also referred to as spotted oak, swamp red oak, among others) is closely related to the Texas red oak. While it can be found as far west as East Texas, it is not native to New Mexico. I found a forestry article (Univ. of NM) that talked about how well the Shumard oak will do in New Mexico (acclimates to the different soils well, doesn't get scorched in the brutal NM sun, doesn't harm native species of plants and animals) as a transplanted species.
Shumard oak leaves
I noticed these wild looking leaves. The leafy part was turning red, pretty normal during the autumn, but the veins were quite vibrant green. I had never seen that color combination before. I love it when I discover artistic theories – color theory in this instance – occurring on their own in the natural world.
I had a heck of a time identifying the tree and its leaves. The Shumard oak (also referred to as spotted oak, swamp red oak, among others) is closely related to the Texas red oak. While it can be found as far west as East Texas, it is not native to New Mexico. I found a forestry article (Univ. of NM) that talked about how well the Shumard oak will do in New Mexico (acclimates to the different soils well, doesn't get scorched in the brutal NM sun, doesn't harm native species of plants and animals) as a transplanted species.