Fall Color Report for Oct 31 2011

Well, nothing lasts forever, and that includes fall leaf colors. If they did, we’d get so used to them that they would cease to be a source of wonderment and beauty. So, take heart that at least in the High Country, we have had a great fall color season, and we are already looking forward to next spring when the leaves come out, hoping that the fall of 2012 is even better than this year!

That all being said don’t get the idea that there are no colors to be seen! Our fearless fall color prognosticators have been hard at work viewing the colors for you, and there is still some to be found, albeit at much lower elevations now. Jim Renfro, from Great Smoky Mountains National Park, says there is still very good color below 3,000’ in the Park, so if you hoof it over there, you can see some great foliage displays. They did have snow high up in the peaks last week, but the trees down lower are still showing nicely.

Just down the road, Beverly Collins says that the colors have been coming in waves around the Franklin area, with no well-defined peak. Most of the early turners, including some maples, dogwood, sourwood and tulip poplar, have lost most of their leaves now. The oaks are peaking though, so you get that rust-red color standing out amongst the other barren trees, which is quite striking when the light hits the trees. We even have a good number of oaks still showing in the Boone/Blowing Rock area, although the majority of the trees are now leafless. However, leaf fall is progressing quickly, so the leaves may not last the full week.

Down around the Cullowhee/Sylva area, Kathy Mathews and Jim Costa report there are beautiful oranges, copper-reds and rust-reds, mainly due to the various oak species, such as red, black, and scarlet, but also because of the remaining sourwoods, red maples and some yellow hickories. Cashiers and Highlands, though, have passed their peak, and many trees are now leafless. The oak species tend to hold on to their leaves for relatively long time, so their colors, highlighted against the remaining yellow maples and birches, make for a nice contrast on the landscape. Japanese red maples are displaying vibrant red colors now and the Bradford pears are just starting to turn (both of these are ornamentals, so don’t look for them in the woods). Bradford pears are about the last of the trees to turn colors (a deep red) and often highlight parking lots and downtown streets with their color throughout the month of November.

Jonathan Horton says that there are still great colors in the city of Asheville and just along the Parkway before it goes up high in elevation. However, he reports that the leaves are falling fast, so there is no guarantee they will be around the entire week.

For your best viewing now, you should concentrate in the foothills around places like Wilkesboro, Lenoir, Hickory, Morganton, and Hendersonville, perhaps down to Murphy, for good color. And also try the state parks located along this band, where the colors should be peaking this week.

As always, you can see my comments and photos on my fall color facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fall-Color-Guy/222437294470967) and on my own fall color page (http://biology.appstate.edu/fall-colors). Happy Foliage Viewing!