Wednesday, October 2, 2013

October 2, 2013




Sure, it's officially Fall in the Old Dominion, but have you seen much color yet? Probably not - Virginia’s forests are still mostly green.

In Virginia’s woods, trees aren't  the only species changing color this time of year. Shrubs and vines also decorate the forest understory with color.

Take a close look along woodland edges - you'll see the bright red leaves of sumacs.


Virginia Creeper
Poison ivy colors early, usually showing deep red leaves clinging to tree trunks.

Virginia creeper’s 5-parted leaves turn a bright, clear red.

The native wild grape usually sports yellow leaves, and the invasive Oriental bittersweet turns a bright golden yellow.

The fall color change happens on a reliable schedule each year. The mountains will show peak color during mid to late October; the Piedmont and Coastal Plain are expected to peak between late October and mid-November.

3 comments:

Kalimpong ko keti said...

when is the color supposed to peak this year in the Shenandoah National Forest area?

Unknown said...

Any ideas on if the weekend of the 12th or the 19th would be better for fall foliage on the VA Creeper trail?

Wayne Browning said...

Early autumn colors have come on strong in upper elevations, above 3000 feet, of the High Knob Massif in far southwestern Virginia.

http://www.highknoblandform.com/