Ginkgo leaf with beads of water, 14 Nov 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)

15 Nov 2025

After my 11 November article about The (Pittsburgh) Ginkgo Map I kept my eye out for local ginkgo trees (Ginkgo biloba) but I was already too late to see them drop their leaves.

That afternoon I went back to photograph the Garetta Street trees, shown in my article from 11 November 2017.

Ginkgo trees at Jewish Association on Aging, Garetta Street as seen from JHF Drive, 11 Nov 2017 (photo by Kate St. John)

But the 11th of November was too late this year. All the leaves had fallen and the landscaping crew was sucking them into the red truck (at right, below). Oh no! I was just in time to see part of their yellow carpet.

Ginkgo trees at Jewish Association on Aging, Garetta Street as seen from JHF Drive, 11 Nov 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)

On Friday I photographed the ginkgo leaf carpet at Phipps Conservatory’s lawn. Someone had picked up a bunch of leaves and made a smaller pile in the distance. I picked up one leaf beaded with water, above, and took its photo.

Carpet of ginkgo leaves at Phipps Conservatory lawn, 14 Nov 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)

Ginkgos weren’t the only yellow.

Witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is blooming in Schenley Park. Its pale yellow flowers are fertilized at night by owlet moths that survive cold weather by hiding under leaf litter during the day. They shiver to warm up and fly at night.

Witch-hazel in bloom, Schenley Park, 14 Nov 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)

The wind made waves in Panther Hollow lake on 13 November, turning the sunlight from yellow to gold.