Drought Ruining Fall Color

[Nyboy]

Front page of local paper today was Fall foliage not good this year. They are blaming the drought all summer. Next Sat a friend and I are going on a Champagne cruise of Hudson river to see the foliage. Oh well money goes to community theater. What are they predicting in your neck of the woods ?

 

[pjn]

Don't know what they are predicting for here ( middle TN) but the tree color is not very pretty.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The earlier predictions were pretty nice because we got some rain this summer, but then the rain pretty much stopped. So it will probably be decent but not spectacular.

 

[digitS']

We are back to dry conditions.

... and, wind. Lots of wind ...

Mostly, evergreens here but I have noticed far more needles dropping this fall. The deciduous will just blow away and stand naked.

Steve

 

[buckabucka]

Last year, it was very dry here and we had great foliage. This year, it's only a little dry. We were complaining that the colors were not so great, almost brown, but then just this week everything began to burst into bright color. It seems later this year, but that could be false memory.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The timing can vary a lot due to temperature and moisture. Usually sumac is the first thing to turn and that's just starting. I agree on the memory thing but I think it is a little late. Some oaks are turning and giving that brown but the maples haven't really started. Around here the best color usually comes from maples, gum, and hickory though others contribute. Sometimes those hickory are gorgeous and sometimes they are fairly dull.

 

[Nyboy]

So far here it seems yellow and brown.

 

[thistlebloom]

So far here it seems yellow and brown.

Time to call those painters of the Hudson Valley back it seems.

 

[Beekissed]

You kill me, Thistle!

Colors are really pretty here, though this is the driest fall I can ever remember. I'm sure those colors would pop even brighter if we got a good rain to knock the dust off the leaves. Haven't had a good rain in weeks and weeks, but supposed to get some good rain this coming week and it will be much appreciated by man and beast alike.

 

[thistlebloom]

The trees in town are looking pretty vibrant, at least to me. They're in irrigated landscapes, so didn't suffer too much from the prolonged dry season.
On my own property the aspens are turning and the rugosas have gone a nice orangey yellow. The vine maples are really pretty, but the red maples on the driveway haven't even started turning yet.