Bleeding Kansas by Elby Adamson
The phrase bleeding Kansas
usually refers to the violent period in the 1850s prior to the Civil War when
Kansas was already a battleground between proslavery and free state forces. But those who love the
outdoors can easily find a metaphor for bleeding Kansas as the fall foliage
offers a definite sanguine appearance.
Photo by Elby Adamson
Swaths of crimson paint the
flanks of the Flint Hills where smooth sumac (Rhus
glabra) displays the color
of blood in the autumn sun.
Smooth Sumac Photo by Ted Beringer
Woody vines and shrubs aren’t the only artists putting red in the
landscape. Species such as pigweed (Amaranthus palmeri), smartweed (Polygonum hydropiper)
Smartweed Photo by Hans Toom
and pokeweed (Phytolacca
americana)offer fall colors with their
scarlet stems and in the case of the pokeweed its purple-red berries as well.
The gooseberry (Ribes spp. Saxifragaceae) has leaves that stand out as bright red patches in riparian areas and
the coral berry (Symphoricarpos
orbiculatus) adds tiny bits of
purple and red as its berries dot the fall landscape.
Coralberry Photo by Tony Presley
Many other plants ranging
from rough-leaved dogwood to both big and little bluestem grasses offer tints
and hints of purples and reds as well.
Late in the fall wahoo brings
a bright red in both foliage and bright three-part berries described as fuchsia
colored. But sometimes this plant is startling red to those who find it along
rocky outcroppings and as an understory shrub or small tree. The color is
another welcome relief as fall moves toward the drab grey of November.
While the original term
bleeding Kansas evokes memories of violence and tragedy, the fall colors of
many Kansas plants and trees simply remind us of the beauty of our states’
natural wonders.
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