Oregon grape is an evergreen shrub. The other day I noticed that a reddish hue had tinged many of the leaves. As I stood there observing, I saw a light green margin bordering the shadow being cast on a lower leaf. I pulled back the upper leaf and was surprised to see that where the leaves overlapped, the lower leaf was bright green. It appeared as if the leaf had a sunburn. I wondered why the leaf had become sensitive to the gentle, lower-intensity rays of the winter sun. In addition, some of the leaves were splotched with red, and others had completely turned a bright red. My thoughts mostly dissipated as my wonder became filled with beauty—the shape of the leaves, their texture, and of the juxtaposition of the red and green complementary colors.
