The Sepia-Toned Flutters

"Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,

Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;

Conspiring with him how to load and bless

With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run [...]"

                                   To Autumn - John Keats

Clumps of yellows - lime, saffron, cream-
glowing at the back gate of school

The foliage is steadily gaining momentum to burst into full bloom of gloriously dazzling hues of autumn. There are only dashes of the darkest burgundy and copper at the back gate of my school - a tiny clump of leaves here and there - but I see yellows everywhere, glowing in the light of day. 

Most of the trees are Ginkgo biloba, called 은행나무 in Korean. I think its Korean name is really pretty; its literal meaning is "trees with apricots of a silvery glow".

The trees can be distinguished easily only with a quick glance at its leaves. They look like minuscule fans (or duck feet to the Chinese, hence the name 鴨脚). Looked at a little more closely, there are tiny veins radiating from the leaf base into the leaf blade. The veins are grouped in pairs, which is known as dichotomous venation. I am thinking about how they resemble strands of hair...when I suddenly remember the tree's old name, "maidenhair tree". It's not too hard to figure out the reason behind the numerous names. 

"Trees with apricots of a silvery glow"? 

"Maidenhair tree" ?

My friends have another way to quickly figure out which trees are Ginkgo - by searching for the seeds that have fallen from above. Knowing that these trees are scattered all around the campus, they always scan the ground for  small light yellow-brown seeds before taking a step. The appearance of these little fruit-like seeds can be deceiving: they emit such a foul smell (caused by butyric acid in the seeds) that if you happen to step on them, you can guarantee your shoes will carry an awful stench for days (unless you wash them and scrub them fiercely, of course). It smells a bit like vomit or food waste, which hardly seems possible for  'silvery apricots'.

Still, however rancid the seeds may be, the foliage is simply magnificent. From saffron to beige, hazel, toast, tan and auburn, the seemingly endless shades of yellow are always what I miss when winter comes. 

Small fruit-like seeds tangled with the fan-like leaves...bearing the repugnant odor of vomit

There is something other than the medical properties (although they are still debated over) about the Ginkgo that's truly astounding. It has great capacity for enduring harsh conditions, and that's putting it mildly. Several trees even survived the Hiroshima atomic bomb explosion. They were within 1-2 km radius from the site, and they are still alive. Its enduring resistance against pests and toxins is absolutely remarkable. 

Soon, I'll be seeing other colors of autumn - carmine, rust, chestnut, wine, coral and tangerine - dominate the scene, but the blushes of cream, tints of lemon, glows of gold and sand will always be what I look for throughout the season.