Fall Leaves

Fall has begun. The trees are beginning to show their colors here in the Piedmont at at our farm. The prime time to see fall color in the North Carolina mountains is the second or third week of October. Peak time is not the same all over the state as leaves in the higher elevations change colors earlier. North Carolina Travel and Tourism updates its weekly fall foliage reports each Tuesday. Howard S. Neufeld, a professor of plant physiology at Appalachian State University, reports for the mountain region. He suggests seeing the best colors by driving the Blue Ridge Parkway from the Virginia border down to Asheville and especially around the Grandfather Mountain and Mount Mitchell area. He is forecasting that yellows and oranges will be the strongest colors with fewer reds. However, he said that some maples have intense red colors this year. The web site also features a fall color forecaster that allows you to see the expected color progression across the state through mid-November. You can also call 1.866.6LEAVES for information. For recorded information on fall colors in other states, call 1.800.354.4595 and select a region. In some regions, it is still too early for fall color, so the information will be brief. This information will be updated as the season progresses.