Fall Foliage Report – Nov. 25, 2011

Virginia is closing the curtain on its fall color show for this season. The southern Piedmont has some color, though this area is past peak. The Coastal Plain has patchy color; but, overall, this area is also past peak.

Fall Foliage Report – Nov. 18, 2011

As the fall foliage show fades away, the forest takes on a different, but still beautiful, look. Now is the time to notice interesting bark on Virginia’s various hardwood trees, which looks striking against the deep green needles of pines and other evergreens. White oaks and some hickories have pale, shaggy bark that peels away from the trunk in strips. Sycamores show a mosaic of white, tan, and gray. Persimmon and black gum have dark bark divided into blocks. Beech bark is a smooth, even gray. Other trees have bark with furrows, deep ridges, or interlacing patterns. See how many different types of bark you can see on your next walk in the woods!

Here's the latest update on fall color in Virginia. The fall color season is drawing to a close in Virginia. Many areas of the Piedmont, especially the southern Piedmont, still have color, though this area is past peak. The Coastal Plain has significant color and areas will be peaking between now and Thanksgiving.

Fall Foliage Report – Nov. 11, 2011

A deciduous tree’s beautiful autumn colors are a prelude to the loss of its leaves.  Thin leaf tissue freezes easily, and trees constantly lose water through the leaves, so a tree must seal them off and drop its leaves to preserve its own health through the winter cold. Some trees tend to cling to their dead leaves for a while, but the water vessels are sealed off, so the trees are not harmed. For example, white oaks may wear a “skirt” of brown leaves on their lower branches well into winter. And beech trees may cling to their papery amber leaves until the new buds swell in spring.  

Here's the latest update on fall color in Virginia. In the upper Piedmont, considerable color can still be seen, though colors are past peak. In the lower Piedmont, colors are at or just past peak. In the Coastal Plain of Virginia, significant color can be seen on the Peninsula. On the Eastern Shore, roughly fifty-percent of the trees have color.

Fall Foliage Report – Nov. 4, 2011

Virginia is lucky to have many species of oaks, which produce abundant acorns in the fall, making them a favorite of wildlife. Most oaks hold their green color well into fall, then turn some shade of red, although the colors are not as bright as those of maples. As with all deciduous trees, the leaf color eventually changes to brown as the leaves die. Oak leaves often take on hues of burnished copper or rich honeyed brown that make even the dead leaves attractive.

Here’s the update on fall colors across the state. Significant color change can be seen in the Piedmont. Most tree species are at full color with some species of oaks lagging a little bit. Many areas are approaching peak color. East of Richmond in the Coastal Plain of Virginia, patchy color change can be seen, and fall color can be found on the Peninsula.