I have lived my whole life in the Intermountain West. Fall can arrive at very different times here and shows itself at first in very subtle ways. When you pay attention to the plants and what they are doing as the sunlight changes and the days grow shorter heading towards the equinox, you start to get clues as to when fall will come and how long it might last.
Everywhere in the intermountain west that I've lived or explored has it's bellwether plant/s. The ones that tell you it's time to wrap up the growing season, start putting away food and wood for the winter. Here on the Wasatch front, up the benches, I noticed it's usually the poison ivy (of all things) or the choke cherries that start to turn red. Then up higher, it's the canyon maples with their adorable little red maple leaves. After that, it's the indian hemp, and then suddenly everyone is on board with the changing of the season. The oaks, the maples, wild plums, wild grasses and the little purple fleabane makes it's last showy stand before the cold hits.
As an herbalist, fall doesn't end for me with Thanksgiving.
The commerce sector seems to think it does, but for me there is still time to harvest roots and seeds and fiber plants (if you like working with natural fibers). Fall really doesn't end until the solstice. And even then, some years it might go a week or two after that. With warmer days coming and going until finally that first snow falls and the cold actually sets in.
The element that I love most about having a deep relationship with the turning seasons is that you live on "nature time" instead of "human time". While we couldn't live our modern lives without human time and calendars, nature time is wonderful cortisol reset. Human time is quiet rigid and unforgiving, while nature time let's you know that the season is changing and you have a couple months to get your affairs in order before the next change starts. The change in light strength and day length is really the only clock I need to let me know how to keep time.
If you enjoyed my thoughts about time as a plant lover, jump on over to this post about how I celebrate the fall equinox.
Want an autumn inspired recipe to enjoy? Try my spiced pumpkin muffins.
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