Past 2011 Fall Color Reports
Miss one of North Carolina’s 2011 Fall Color Reports? No problem! You can find all of the past reports here.
November 9th Weekly Report - Piedmont
The Piedmont 2011 fall season has been slow to develop, but we are now close to peak conditions throughout much of the province. The lower nighttime temperatures required for good color development did not become established until late in the season, which probably slowed the emergence of color and added several days to the season. Certain species have lost many of their leaves, but the forests, roadsides, greenways and shorelines still exhibit considerable color and may remain beautiful for another week to 10 days.
Maples have been especially brilliant this year, and more oaks than usual are sporting orange and red foliage. Sycamore leaves typically change directly to brown, yet in some areas, the trees are showing more yellow this year. Although differences in foliage occur from year to year, each fall is beautiful in the North Carolina Piedmont. This year is no exception.
Bruce Beerbower from the Catawba Science Center in Hickory remarks that deeper and brighter colors - particularly crimson seen with flowering dogwood, sourwood and Virginia creeper, and the golden yellows of hickory, silver maple and tulip poplars - are lovely right now in western areas.
Ranger Josh Hemric at Pilot Mountain State Park and Superintendent Dave Cook of Hanging Rock State Park report that both parks still are showing color, but they doubt that it will last much longer. Take the opportunity now to enjoy what remains of autumn by visiting the area’s many parks, greenways and reservoirs.
A drive toward the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area in the next several days will showcase lovely fall foliage. Don Seriff, natural resource coordinator for Mecklenburg County, reports peak conditions and suggests that color will last for another week. Maples are especially bright with orange, yellows and reds. Don observes that many oaks are showing off with nice color this year.
The Uwharrie National Forest in central North Carolina is nearing or at peak coloration as reported by Ranger Terry Savery. Driving down N.C. 109 from the Greensboro-High Point area and exploring the rural roads that traverse the national forest and Badin Lake Recreation Area will showcase a variety of brilliant color. Sourwoods, sumacs, red maples, sweetgums, hickories and flowering dogwoods have transformed the landscape into a blaze of color.
From Raleigh comes a report from Deborah Robertson, manager of Blue Jay Point County Park, that the region is quickly approaching peak season. Brighter yellows and oranges, highlighted by deep reds, maroons and purples, are painting the eastern reaches of the Piedmont with lots of color. Deborah states that conditions for fall foliage enjoyment should last for two more weeks. For a nice driving tour, leave Blue Jay Point County Park on Pleasant Union Church Road and turn right onto Six Forks Road heading north. Cross N.C. 98, where Six Forks Road changes to New Light Road. Once you pass Holly Point Campground, watch for a left turn onto Old Weaver Trail Road, and then enjoy scenic views of Falls Lake and the colorful shoreline. Reservoirs are ideal places to enjoy fall foliage because of the open vistas they provide, and their colorful shorelines are reflected off the water’s surface.
The High Point-Greensboro-Winston-Salem region is simply beautiful and should remain so for another week. For a time the colors remained a somewhat muted pastel, but in the past 10 days, leaf color has intensified. The carotene pigments, represented by orange, pink, light red and yellow, have brightened while the red, maroon and purple anthocyanin pigments have deepened. The reservoirs, parks, greenways and public gardens in the Triad provide ample viewing opportunities and easy day trips.
In High Point, visit Oak Hollow Lake, City Lake and Piedmont Environmental Center, which offers 11 miles of hiking trails and views of City Lake. Greensboro has many trails and lovely vistas at lakes Higgins and Brandt as well as a greenway system that includes Guilford Courthouse National Military Park and Bur-Mil Park. In Winston-Salem, check out the Salem Lake Greenway, Old Salem and the public gardens at Reynolda Village for colorful getaways. In Kernersville, the lovely Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden provides yet another destination. Enjoy the season while it lasts.
November 9th Weekly Report - Mountains
The trees in the High Country are pretty much done for this year. There is the occasional lone oak tree, standing red against a gray, leafless landscape plus a few late maples and Bradford pears (in town) still turning. But anything above 3,000 feet can be considered finished.
However, a drive off the mountain shows that there is still color below 2,700 feet. For example, the views off N.C. 181 just below Linville Ridge were excellent Sunday, showing off mainly rust red oaks, some brilliant yellow silver maples and a few remaining sourwoods. Deep red winged sumacs were also abundant along the roadsides in clearings. The tulip poplars were holding on to just a few leaves at the tips of their branches but were otherwise nearly bare. Colors were good for about 1,000 feet down the mountain, but by the time I got to Morganton, the bright colors had faded. The same could be said for the drive up U.S. 321 from Lenoir to Blowing Rock. The band of trees between 1,500 feet and 2,500 feet were still colorful, but both below and above this band, colors were sparse and dull.
So as we head toward Thanksgiving, your best bet for fall color is in the foothills along the southeastern flank of the southern Appalachians from Ashe County to Macon County. The main colors remaining are the deep reds of the scarlet and red oaks and maybe a recalcitrant sourwood, some yellow from late turning silver and sugar maples and tulip poplars, and orange from a few sugar maples. Most of the other trees are past their peak.
Looking back, this was a great year for fall color. I had rated the peak weekend back in mid-October as an eight or nine on scale of 10 because of the abundant and bright red colors of the red maples and sourwoods. Although the peak in the Boone area was cut short by wind and rain, good color persisted for another two weeks. The peak then moved down to the Asheville and Cashiers/Highlands areas, where visitors were able to see great fall foliage color despite some snow, wind and rain.
Now the colors will continue to move south and east across the state. Sweetgums, abundant in the Piedmont, and cypress trees on the Coastal Plain will add purple and rust red colors to the relatively bland yellow and brown hickories and oaks that dominate those parts of the state.
I hope you have enjoyed the fall color reports this year and that they helped you plan your visits to the mountains. As always, you can see my comments and photos on my fall color Facebook page and on my own fall color page. You can leave comments on the fallcolorguy blog and on Twitter. See you all next year.
November 2nd Weekly Report - Piedmont
After an unseasonably warm stretch, colder air has invaded the North Carolina Piedmont. For several nights beginning last weekend, temperatures have dipped into the mid- and upper 30s. With clear weather forecast for the next several days, peak conditions should spread across the region and provide another 10 days of good leaf viewing.
Although a few rainy days with gusty winds have removed leaves from some species, landscapes have been mostly unaffected. Many tulip poplars, one of the first species to change, have lost considerable foliage, but their golden yellow leaves have been replaced in the landscape by those of hickory. The Piedmont is seeing deepening reds and purples from sourwood, flowering dogwood, sweetgum and sumac plus brighter oranges, yellows and pinks from maple, hickory and river birch. Percent color as reported throughout the province varies from 40 percent to past peak. The Piedmont overall should expect peak conditions developing over the next week with good leaf viewing through the second week of November.
The western Piedmont, according to Bruce Beerbower of the Catawba Science Center, remains in a holding pattern. The Hickory area is still about 50 percent color while Lincolnton, to the south, is about 40 percent.
Pilot Mountain State Park still shows nice color at lower elevations and is best viewed from a distance, ranger Josh Hemric reports. Toward the summit, past-peak conditions are apparent. For a nice driving tour, travel north on U.S. 52 from Winston Salem. Take exit 134 and turn left on N.C. 268. Turn left again on Shoals Road and follow it to the Shoals community. Black Mountain Road, near the intersection of U.S. 52 and N.C. 268, is another rural road that provides nice views of the mountain.
Superintendent Dave Cook of Hanging Rock State Park says Hanging Rock has peak viewing conditions now and should be good through the first week of November. Moore Spring, Hall and Mickey roads loop around the park and permit good foliage viewing, as do rural state highways 66, 89 and 65.
Uwharrie National Forest in the central Piedmont is seeing increased fall foliage colors, particularly in sourwoods, sumacs, red maples and sweetgums, according to ranger Terry Savery. The golden yellows associated with hickory, tulip poplar and river birch are becoming brighter as the season continues. Badin Lake Recreation Area and N.C. 49 and 109 provide especially good opportunities for enjoying fall colors. From the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area, head toward Albemarle and take N.C. 24/27 east across Lake Tillery. Turn left on River Road and follow it to N.C. 109 north for a drive that highlights beautiful scenery and landscapes.
Natural resource supervisor Don Sheriff reports that it is peak week in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Don says the hickories are really nice with eye-catching golden yellow foliage. Be sure to visit Latta Plantation, the Rural Hill historic site and Cowan’s Ford Wildlife Refuge for particularly good viewing opportunities. These attractions are within five miles of each other for easy travel and visitation.
Color is beginning to develop nicely in the eastern Piedmont as reported by Deborah Robertson, superintendent of Wake County’s Blue Jay Point County Park. Maples are showing off with lovely orange, yellow and pink punctuated with the deep reds and maroons of sourwood, flowering dogwood and sumac. Deborah mentions that oaks are also beginning to show red, as they are in certain areas of the central Piedmont. Color development is about 40 percent.
The Triad region including High Point, Greensboro and Winston-Salem is at about 90 percent color. Red maple, hickory, sycamore, river birch, princess tree and redbud are showing brighter orange and yellow compared with a week ago. Especially nice are the deepening reds of flowering dogwood, sweetgum and sourwood. Scarlet, Spanish, post and other species of oaks are also beginning to reveal some orange and red. Among the best places to view foliage are area reservoirs, including Salem Lake in Winston-Salem, lakes Townsend, Brandt and Higgins in Greensboro, and Oak Hollow and High Point City lakes in High Point. The shorelines of these lakes are brilliant, and the water surface is a mirror reflecting the colors of the season.
Other area fall color attractions such as Piedmont Environmental Center in High Point, Reynolda Gardens and Old Salem in Winston-Salem, and the Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden in Kernersville are also recommended destinations for enjoying autumn in the Piedmont region.
November 2nd Weekly Report - Mountains
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 and on my own fall color page. You can leave comments on the fallcolorguy blog and on Twitter. Happy foliage viewing!
October 26th Weekly Report - Mountains
I’ve just come back from a weekend trip down to the Highlands Biological Station in Highlands, where several of us held a workshop on the environment for secondary school teachers. Among the things we discussed were climate change and fall color displays.
Well, there are still great colors in the Highlands/Cashiers area. You can view them by hiking out on Sunset Rock in Highlands or taking the short hike to the summit of Satulah Mountain (also in Highlands). The colors are shifting from bright yellows, oranges and reds to more yellows and browns highlighted by the oaks and sourwoods. The oaks tend to have much darker, deeper reds, or light browns, which gives the landscape a burnished look, especially in early morning or at dusk.
In addition to the yellow sugar maples, witch hazels are displaying yellow leaves (and yellow flowers), huckleberries now have deep red leaves, and magnolias are showing off their unusually large leaves, which briefly turn yellow/green before shifting over to a nice chocolate brown. The best colors are going to be in valleys and protected areas because high winds took out many of the leaves on the more exposed trees on high ridges.
Good color can be viewed on U.S. 64 between Highlands and Cashiers. Just east of Cashiers is the turnoff for Gorges State Park, and the leaf display should be quite nice there this week. Continuing east, the colors fade out after Lake Toxaway and are not that spectacular in the Brevard area, although if you go into the Pisgah Forest near Brevard, the colors pick up again. West of Brevard, you can also see good colors by turning off of U.S. 64 onto N.C. 107 north toward Cullowhee or N.C. 215 north toward Canton.
Once you get to Asheville, fall colors are really at their peak. They should last through the week and into the weekend, but be advised that Oct. 22-23 was the peak weekend for the city. If you take the Blue Ridge Parkway north of Asheville, there are abundant colors on the trees until you get above 3,000 feet, at which point most of the trees are bare. At higher elevations though, the bare branches are highlighted by the fruits of the mountain ash trees, which are a spectacularly bright red. Although the leaves are gone at Craggy Gardens, the views downslope are nice, and if you continue into the Asheville Watershed, there are pockets of bright color to be seen in the valleys and on the slopes. Again, the best viewing times are either early or late in the day when the sun is low on the horizon, which accents the colors.
Leaf color picks up again on the parkway just north of Little Switzerland up to the Chestoa View overlook area, at which point they begin to fade again. The Boone/Blowing Rock area has passed the peak, and now the best colors can be seen downslope in the Wilson Creek drainage and toward Wilkesboro and Morganton. So for those of you heading out this week or this weekend, you can still find some color, particularly with the oaks, but it looks like we’re done for most of the higher elevations.
As always, you can see my comments and photos on my fall color Facebook page and on my own fall color page. You can leave comments on the fallcolorguy blog and on Twitter. Happy foliage viewing!
October 26th Weekly Report - Piedmont
The Piedmont is showing very nice color right now and the best is yet to come. Predictably, higher elevations are nearing peak color while the slightly warmer eastern reaches are reported to be about 20 percent. Because conditions vary throughout the diverse Piedmont region, observing differences across the province is interesting.
A basic understanding of why and how leaves change color in fall heightens appreciation for the season. The green chlorophyll in leaves helps plants produce food through the complex process of photosynthesis. The main ingredient needed to facilitate photosynthesis is light. As daylight hours shorten in the fall and temperatures begin to drop, chlorophyll starts to break down and is no longer replaced. Pigments known as carotenoids - the beautiful yellows and oranges seen in maples, tulip poplars, redbuds and other species - have been present in the leaves but masked by the green chlorophyll. Once the chlorophyll disappears, these bright colors are revealed.
Something different happens with the red and purple pigments known as anthocyanins, which are commonly associated with sweetgum, sourwood, flowering dogwood and other species. These lovely pigments are actually made in the fall from sugar trapped in the leaf. Bright sunny fall days enhance the production of sugars, and cool nights prohibit their transfer. So follow the weather and watch as conditions transition our green forests into a brilliant landscape of yellow, orange, red and purple. Research also suggests that fall coloration may help protect leaves from damaging ultraviolet light once chlorophyll disappears, thereby helping the leaves to make the last bit of nutrient transfer to the roots before dropping off. Fall is a beautiful and fascinating time of year.
Western areas of the Piedmont seem to be in a holding pattern. Bruce Beerbower from Catawba Science Center in Hickory estimates color at 50 percent and showing little change from last week. Although a few nights saw temperatures dip into the upper 30s, the region is generally recording temperatures a little above average for this time of year. However, drive or climb to the top of Pilot Mountain and witness conditions that are very near peak. Josh Hemric, ranger at Pilot Mountain State Park, says the summit is close to 100 percent color with lower elevations lagging a few days behind. Overall the park is hovering around 75 percent. Josh reminds visitors that limited parking may create delays in reaching summit areas for leaf viewing. Visiting during the week or getting an early start on pretty weekends will help avoid delays.
East of Pilot Mountain, Hanging Rock State Park is also nearing or at peak coloration and is expected to remain so through the first week of November. Superintendent Dave Cook says viewing is excellent and reminds visitors to bring a camera.
To view beautiful foliage in the Uwharrie National Forest, drive south on N.C. 109 from the High Point-Greensboro-Winston-Salem area through Denton and on to the Uwharrie Mountains and the Badin Lake Recreation Area. This part of the Piedmont is seeing increased fall color, according to forest ranger Terry Savery. Sourwoods, sumacs, red maples and redbuds are showing off nicely with deep red, orange, yellow and maroon. Terry reports that the Uwharrie National Forest is nearing 40 percent color. The shorelines of Badin Lake are especially nice, particularly from the King’s Mountain Point and Holt’s Picnic Areas. From N.C. 109 south, look for Mullinix Road (SR 1154), which leads into the Badin Lake Recreation Area. Follow signs to the picnic areas for good viewing.
For additional scenic landscapes, follow N.C. 109 to N.C. 49 and turn onto Science Hill Road. Turn left onto Lassiter Mill Road (S.R. 1107) and continue to Burney Mill Road, which becomes Ophir Road. Follow signs to the town of Ophir, a booming town during gold mining days (it was named for the biblical region that produced gold for King Solomon’s temple). Continue to the town of Uwharrie, then head north on N.C. 109 north to return to the Triad or to reach N.C. 49.
In the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County metro area, Natural Resource Coordinator Don Seriff states that color is everywhere and that the woods are ablaze. Don estimates that the forests and roadside trees are showing greater than 50 percent color. Sassafras trees are showing bright orange while tulip poplars are entirely yellow. Deep purples are showing up on most sweetgum trees, and lots of red is covering blackgums, maples, sourwoods and sumacs.
In Wake County in the eastern Piedmont, Deborah Robertson, manager of Blue Jay County Park, reports that significant differences in colors have occurred this past week. Sycamore, ash and redbud are showing off with golden yellows and mixing nicely with red, maroon and purple seen in sourwood and sweetgum. Deborah believes that eastern portions of the Piedmont are around 20 percent color.
This week reports considerable variation throughout the North Carolina Piedmont Region, with peak coloration predicted to occur over the next 20 days for the entire province. The timing and extent of color development depends on lower nighttime temperatures, which so far have been unseasonably warm. In the meantime, enjoy what may be a prolonged fall season by visiting the many beautiful parks, greenways and reservoirs of our diverse Piedmont region.
October 19th Weekly Report - Mountains
This past week was windy all over the High Country, with 90 mph gusts on top of Grandfather Mountain, and the trees lost a lot of leaves. Here in the Boone/Grandfather area, most of the leaves on exposed slopes have come down with only the isolated protected valleys, such as Valle Crucis, still showing good color. The oaks, though, are turning their deep rust reds, which are providing accent against the yellow tulip poplars in Watauga County.
Elk Knob, which I hiked on Sunday, is mostly bare at the top with the valleys showing color off in the distance. Along the trail, though, yellow/brown beech leaves add a pleasing hue to the otherwise barren treescape. The views from this park are stunning: I saw Mount Mitchell, Grandfather and other peaks from the top. Along the Blue Ridge Parkway, the best foliage color is in the forests below the roadway. Good views can be found off to the east from the Grandfather area, for example the Wilson Creek drainage. Jesse Pope from Grandfather Mountain reports that between N.C. 421 and Grandfather, there are still great views of fall color from the frequent overlooks.
Susan Sachs from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park reports that leaves have peaked between 4,000 and 5,000 feet and that the winds have taken down many leaves from those high elevations. However, the views of the colors at lower elevations are still very good, so driving the parkway from Maggie Valley into the Smokies should provide good views of the leaves. Kathy Mathews reports the loss of many leaves in and around Cullowhee/Sylva because of wind, but the trees still haven’t peaked in that area, and more and more pockets of colorful leaves are showing up each day.
In the Cashiers/Highlands area, Jim Costa says the colors are “stunningly beautiful” right now. The maples, especially the red maples, are a vibrant red and have never been as colorful as this year. They are highlighted by bright yellow buckeyes, birches and multicolored sassafras while sourwoods and sumacs accentuate those hues with their deep reds. Burning bush (Euonymus alatus) is providing vivid red accents in people’s yards and along roads. The oaks are now adding deep burgundy, orange/reds and browns. This will be the peak week there, and the coming weekend should be excellent if you’re in these parts of the North Carolina mountains.
So, folks, we’re getting to the latter half of the fall foliage season in the mountains. Colors are progressing downslope, heading toward Wilkesboro, Morganton, Hendersonville, Brevard, Franklin and Murphy. So if you’re planning drives in the next two weeks to see the colors, be aware that you’ll be seeing them from the overlooks of the parkway, but not on the parkway itself. There is still plenty of color out there, so come on up.
As always, you can see my comments and photos on my fall color Facebook page and on my own fall color page. You can leave comments on the fallcolorguy blog and on Twitter. Happy foliage viewing!
October 19th Weekly Report - Piedmont
The rolling countryside of the North Carolina Piedmont is turning into a palette of beautiful color. As a region we are still a few weeks from peak, but never mind that. From now through the first week of November, a drive along any of the rural roads and highways will provide very nice scenery, as will hiking in the parks or paddling the lakes.
From the Piedmont’s western border, Alan Barnhardt of Catawba Science Center reports that maples are ranging from golden yellow to beautiful red. Mixing it up with the yellows of hickory and sassafras is the crimson of Virginia creeper and blackberry. Peak color in these western sections, which are now at about 50 percent change, may arrive in 10 days to two weeks, depending on nighttime temperatures. The Piedmont needs clear nights with temps dropping into the 30s or low 40s before color begins to peak. For a nice drive, take N.C. 127 north out of Hickory and into Alexander County, then U.S. 64 west to Lenoir. In Lenoir, U.S. 321 north will take you toward Boone while U.S. 321 south returns to Hickory.
Northeast of Hickory, Pilot Mountain State Park is “really beginning to see some good color all over the mountain, but especially above the half way point to the summit,” says Ranger Josh Hemric. Maples, sourwoods, tulip poplars and oaks near the summit (elevation: 2,420 feet) are showing off pretty autumn colors. Josh estimates Pilot Mountain to be 50 percent with peak perhaps beginning in a week. A drive on U.S. 52 north from Pilot Mountain through Mount Airy and on to the Blue Ridge Parkway will treat the motorist to lovely scenery. You can also take N.C. 268 west from Pilot Mountain toward Elkin, then U.S. 21 north toward Sparta for very pretty color and pastoral landscapes. The small towns along the way offer still more charm.
East of Pilot Mountain, Hanging Rock looms at 2,579 feet. “Fall color is exploding at Hanging Rock State Park,” says Superintendent Dave Cook. The park is a great destination now with a nice mixing of reds and yellows and peak color perhaps lasting through the first weekend in November. Moore Spring Road, Hall Road and Mickey Road loop around the park with nice viewing. Maps and further suggestions are available at the park’s visitor center.
From the Uwharrie National Forest in the center of the state, ranger Terry Savery reports sweet gums and maples showing deeper shades of red and mixing with the golden yellows of hickory and tulip poplars. Terry estimates the forest at 30 percent color. From Winston-Salem or Lexington, begin a driving tour by heading south N.C. 109. Turn right on Mullinix Road (S.R. 1154), right again on McLeans Creek Road (Forest Service Road 544) and take another right Badin Lake Road (F.S.R. 597). Bear left on F.S.R. 597A to reach the King's Mountain Point day use area or continue on F.S.R. 597 to Holt's Picnic Area. Whatever you choose, this drive will highlight one of the most beautiful areas in the central Piedmont.
In the High Point-Greensboro-Winston-Salem area, autumn coloration is coming on strong. The deep reds of sourwood, sweet gum and flowering dogwood are beautiful against the oranges, lighter reds and pinks of red maple. Tulip poplars and several species of hickory seem to be especially nice this year with their yellow leaves. Even a few oaks, generally the last species to change, are beginning to show some red. In High Point, the Piedmont Environmental Center, Oak Hollow Lake and High Point City Lake are great places to admire fall foliage. On High Point City Lake, the High Point Fall Leaf Boat Tour is a must-do. Call 336-883-3498 for details and reservations. Three municipal reservoirs in Greensboro - lakes Brandt, Higgins and Townsend - also offer beautiful shoreline color with numerous overlooks. In Winston-Salem, the Salem Lake Greenway and Reynolda Gardens are excellent fall destinations. Peak coloration in the Triad should occur in the last days of October and extend into November.
Take time to get outside and enjoy the spectacular natural resources and beautiful landscapes of the North Carolina Piedmont.
October 12th Weekly Report - Mountains
Foliage color peaked this past weekend for the Grandfather Mountain to Boone/Blowing Rock area of North Carolina for areas above 3,000 feet in elevation. Above 4,500 feet, colors have passed their peak. However, if you haven’t yet made it to the mountains, there is still plenty of color that should persist through next weekend. In fact, some areas haven’t yet peaked, and this coming weekend should be their time to show off.
This year has been a real guessing game with respect to how brilliant and intense the colors will be, but based on the drive I took Saturday, this year’s colors rank 9 on a scale of 10, with 10 as the best it can be. So if you want to see some great fall foliage, this is the year to do it.
Colors are still peaking in some areas below 4,000 feet, especially south of Grandfather Mountain in the Linville to Little Switzerland area on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I believe those areas will show their best color this coming weekend, assuming the rains forecast for Tuesday through Thursday don’t knock a lot of leaves down (and I don’t think they will, since there is no forecast for high winds). Jesse Pope reports that views from Grandfather off to the south and east are spectacular. Crowds were so high at the park on Saturday that traffic was backed up on U.S. 221. To avoid those crowds, come during the week or early in day. Mornings and evenings are great times to view the foliage and take pictures because colors appear more intense when the sun is low on the horizon.
Jonathan Horton reports that the colors are still building in Asheville (mainly dogwoods, Virginia creeper, sourwoods and maples), but on the Blue Ridge Parkway toward Pisgah, there is much more color, including a lot of trees that turn yellow (magnolias, birches, hickories, striped maple). The sourwoods, maples and dogwoods are at their showiest now all up and down the parkway. This year there are plenty of bright reds mixed in with the yellows and oranges, making for a very vibrant color scene. Leaves on the parkway around Asheville should peak this coming weekend.
Jim Costa reports that the colors in Highlands are spectacular - still a fair bit of green but with healthy doses of bright oranges, reds and yellows mixed in. Birches, red maples, dogwoods, buckeyes and sassafras are all lovely. Virginia creepers are highlighting bare rock faces and tree trunks with their deep red leaves. Jim thinks that colors will persist near their peak through this coming weekend. Lower down, around Cullowhee, Kathy Mathews reports that colors are still moving toward their peak. Down by Franklin, Beverly Collins notes that the hills are still mostly green but are turning color rapidly, especially high up. However, oaks and many hickories aren’t turning much yet, which means that most hillslopes are still largely green with spots and strips of color.
For drives and hikes, I suggest U.S. 221 to Mount Jefferson State Natural Area in Ashe County. You can drive to the top, and there are nice short hikes with good views. Hikes around Highlands include one to Satulah Mountain. U.S. 64 from Highlands to Franklin offers great color along the 20-mile drive. This is also North Carolina apple season, and the mountains, which produce 90 percent of North Carolina’s apples, have plenty of roadside stands selling not just apples but also juice, cider and my favorite, apple butter.
As always, you can see my comments and photos on my fall color Facebook page and on my own fall color page. You can leave comments on the fallcolorguy blog and on Twitter. Happy foliage viewing!
October 12th Weekly Report - Piedmont
The Piedmont landscape looks noticeably different this week compared to a week ago. The yellow cast on otherwise green foliage is much more apparent. Although the region has a long way to go, the Piedmont is in active transition. I stand by last week’s statement that this fall may top the charts as among the region’s most beautiful in recent years.
Many species showing deepening color are those that are exposed. Maples emerging from the canopy or along the forest edge are showing yellows, oranges and pinks. Unless standing in the open, the crowns and sides of these individual trees are partially clothed in color.
Not so with tulip or yellow poplars. Most of these have turned a golden yellow and have been dropping leaves. Roadside sycamores with their white exfoliating bark are yellowing nicely with leaf edges turning a crispy brown. Even hickories are getting into the act by transitioning to yellow with brown spots dappling their leaves. Ashes and redbud are adding their yellow to the changing fall season. Flowering dogwoods are really beautiful with pretty red leaves, especially dogwoods standing alone and exposed. And the sight of a deep red/purple sourwood along the roadside, particularly one next to a yellow poplar or partially pink red maple, is a sign of things to come. Stay tuned for a memorable fall season in Piedmont North Carolina.
Josh Hemric, ranger at Pilot Mountain State Park, mentions that most of the red maples on the mountain are showing color, and flowering dogwoods and poplars are beginning to show off nicely. As a side note, Josh observes that some oaks near and around the top of Pilot Mountain are starting to develop red leaves. He believes that within the next week or so, the park should be quite colorful.
Superintendent Dave Cook of Hanging Rock State Park estimates that the park is hovering around 7 percent color. He predicts that peak color may begin around Oct. 21 and last for a couple of weeks. Dave points out that the difference between last week and this week is not dramatic because of moderate night time temperatures.
Reporting from the Uwharrie National Forest in the south-central Piedmont, District Recreation Ranger Terry Savery notes the changes she sees in sweet gums and red maples as they change into different shades of red. Terry believes that this week will be important for color development. Uwharrie National Forest is easily accessed from Asheboro, Troy and Candor, with a drive on N.C. 109 through the heart of the forest being especially nice.
From Mecklenburg County and the Charlotte area, Natural Resource Coordinator Don Seriff draws attention to the deep red foliage of black gum and the extensive yellow leaves of tulip poplar and poison ivy, with redbud adding yellow leaves to the landscape. Flowering dogwood are really nice with their bright red fruit and red-purple leaves.
We expect eastern portions of the Piedmont to be a little behind the rest of the region, and that is exactly what we hear from Deborah Robertson, manager of Blue Jay Point County Park in Wake County. Deborah says that except for scattered sourwoods, sweet gums, flowering dogwoods and tulip poplars, the eastern Piedmont remains 99 percent green.
Next week we will suggest several scenic routes for observing fall foliage and will update our reports of the developing autumn season throughout the rolling Piedmont of North Carolina. In the meantime, visit the area’s many parks, greenways and reservoirs as they provide great opportunities for outdoor recreation in our beautiful state.
October 5th Weekly Report - Mountains
This has been an interesting week in the mountains. Beginning Friday, the temperatures dropped and the winds picked up. Jesse Pope, chief naturalist up on Grandfather Mountain, reports that on Saturday winds reached 60 mph with gusts up to 74 mph. Most trees were still holding on to their leaves quite tightly, so even though some were blown off, most are still there, and if we don’t get more windstorms like that one, they should turn color quite nicely in the next two weeks.
Color is progressing, but it slowed somewhat last week, perhaps because of relatively cloudy weather instead of the abundant sunshine needed to bring out the best foliage colors. Right now, most of the slopes in the High Country and on down to Highlands are still mainly green, with about 30 percent to 40 percent color development showing on the hills. Of course, good foliage color also depends on the intensity of the color, and that is lagging right now, at perhaps 20 percent of what it could be. But the sun came out Sunday and was sticking around Monday, so color development may speed up this week.
There are patches of good color throughout the mountains, although somewhat limited in extent. Jesse reports that the heath balds on the ridges above the Blue Ridge Parkway and below the Black Rock parking area are showing nicely now. You can see the sugar and red maples continuing to turn yellow-orange and red, and the mountain ashes, dogwoods, sourwoods and huckleberries are adding a nice red to burgundy hue to the forests. Birch, green ash, and Fraser and cucumber magnolias are also turning a golden yellow laced with brown, and the tulip poplars are just starting to yellow. Oaks are generally among the last to turn, so there will be more red colors to come from the red and scarlet species.
In the Smokies, Emily Darling at Purchase Knob (right outside Waynesville and Maggie Valley) reports a similar state of development, even with higher elevations that reach 5,000 feet. And Kathy Mathews of Western Carolina University in Cullowhee reports that the forests there are still mostly green but are changing rapidly.
So it seems that this coming weekend should be the front end of the fall foliage peak, at least at 3,000 feet and higher, while the next weekend will encompass areas slightly lower. For good drives, I recommend the Blue Ridge Parkway or Route 194/ Meat Camp Road to Elk Knob State Park with its 360-degree views at the 5,000-foot summit. Further south, the drive to Mount Mitchell State Park is spectacular, as is a drive through the Pisgah National Forest just west of Brevard to the Cradle of Forestry.
As always, you can see updates and science essays on my fall color page and my fall color Facebook page. You can leave comments on the fallcolorguy blog and on Twitter. Have a safe and fun trip to the mountains this fall.
October 5th Weekly Report - Piedmont
Conditions developing in the North Carolina Piedmont might provide the region its most beautiful fall in years. This time last year we were experiencing a rain deficit of more than 6 inches. This year appeared to be headed in the same direction until last week. Recent rainfall has narrowed this year’s deficit to less than 3 inches, and at a time when most trees have yet to lose their green chlorophyll. Temperatures are falling into the upper 40s at night while clear skies and pleasant weather dominate our days. These conditions are perfect for maximum color production.
Naturally occurring roadside wildflowers are beautiful right now. From the aster family, Joe-Pye weed, groundsel tree, ironweed, goldenrod and coreopsis brighten our Piedmont roads and highways. Scattered roadside sourwoods with their deep red-purple foliage and yellow terminal flower stems are very nice against these fall wildflowers. A few scattered flowering dogwoods are showing rosy and deeper red foliage while holding on to their bright red fruit, and selected red maples, particularly those emerging from a low canopy or at the wood’s edge, are beginning to support yellows and light pinks. Bruce Beerbower from Catawba Science Center in the western Piedmont tells us that black cherry trees are showing some bright yellows and rose against mostly green leaves. Blackberries are turning crimson mixed with a little yellow, and sweet gums are starting to change into different shades of green, yellow and red.
Dave Cook from Hanging Rock State Park reports that the park is hovering around 3 percent color with flowering dogwoods and black gums turning red and yellow poplars showing gold-yellow leaves. From Pilot Mountain State Park, Josh Hemric says sourwoods near the summit are really showing nice color, and a few maples are pitching in with yellow, rose and pink. The fall season still has a long way to go, even at higher Piedmont elevations.
In the more southern areas of the region, many crape myrtles are turning orange, yellow and red. Don Seriff from Mecklenburg County also observes that black gum trees are continuing to change to red with tulip poplars making the transition to yellow. Overall, Piedmont foliage is showing very light yellowing leaves still masked by dominant green. This week will bring about noticeable changes as the region experiences chilly nights and warm clear days.
September 28th Weekly Report - Mountains
This marks the first official week of fall, and between our last report and this one, the trees have responded dramatically, with noticeable color changes here in the mountains. I took a weekend drive to Linville Falls and Grandfather Mountain State Park, and there is a significant increase in color on the hills, although the forests are still about 80 percent green, so the peak is yet to come.
On Grandfather Mountain, color is very pronounced on the heath balds and rock outcrops. Above 4,500 feet color is quite advanced, and on the eastern and lower flanks of Grandfather (the side facing the Blue Ridge Parkway) there are one or two ridges with excellent color already. You can get a great view of this from the Beacon Heights parking lot, and also on the rock outcrops at Beacon Heights (take the short trail to the top for spectacular views).
Species displaying the most right now include sugar and red maples. Sugar maples turn yellow initially, then convert to an orange/red hue, while the red maples turn a brilliant red. Particularly interesting is how many red maples show flagging, which means that certain branches are turning red while the rest of the tree is still green. Eventually, the entire tree will turn red. This has been an unusual year with respect to maples, which are turning about two weeks ahead of their usual time for reasons we do not fully understand.
Sourwoods, which turn a deep burgundy red, are coloring up rapidly also. Huckleberries and high bush blueberries in exposed areas are also turning a nice red now. Sassafras trees are putting on a nice display, with leaves turning yellow, orange and finally red (sometimes all on one tree). Serviceberries and mountain ashes are beginning to turn, and black and yellow birches are providing a nice yellow highlight along roads and trails. Fraser magnolias are losing their green and turning either yellow or brown. Some of you may notice the Rhododendron maximum (the most common rhododendron) losing leaves now, but no worry. This is normal for the species, which holds onto its leaves for up to seven years before they turn a bright yellow and drop off. A related species, R. catawbiense, which grows in the Linville Gorge and other places, has leaves that become deep orange-red at this time of the year, and you can see them from the outlooks at Linville Falls, off the Blue Ridge Parkway.
If I had to make a guess right now, I would predict a slightly earlier peak in the mountains, perhaps the weekend of Oct. 7-9 in the Boone/Grandfather area and maybe the next weekend further south around Asheville. In the Highlands/Cashiers area, colors often peak about the same time as in Boone, or just slightly afterward. In the Smokies, colors will peak in early October at the higher elevations, then work their way downslope with a delay of about five days for every 1,000-foot drop in elevation.
If you’re looking for good fall foliage drives, of course try the Blue Ridge Parkway from Virginia down to the Smokies, as well as the Cherohala Skyway from Robbinsville, N.C. to Tellico Plains, Tenn. If you want to avoid the crowds, try the back roads of the High Country, which afford great viewing with few distractions.
You can check out my fall color page and the fall color facebook site. You can leave comments on the fallcolorguy blog and on Twitter. Wish for sunny cool weather and have a great trip up to the mountains this fall!
September 28th Weekly Report - Piedmont
Cooler weather invaded North Carolina and the Piedmont region last week, triggering cloudy and rainy conditions. These cool evening temperatures hasten the arrival of fall foliage, but clear, sunny days are also necessary to unveil the bright oranges, yellows and reds we associate with the season. While remaining predominantly green but showing some changes in western sections and at higher elevations, the Piedmont will look very different in three short weeks.
Each year it’s interesting to witness how the fall season transitions in our central North Carolina region. Higher elevations of Pilot Mountain and Hanging Rock State Parks in the northwest North Carolina Piedmont are among some of the first areas to change. Rising above the rolling topography of the Piedmont, Hanging Rock State Park looms over the surrounding countryside at 2,579 feet, and Pilot Mountain State Park stands at 2,420. These elevations generally support cooler temperatures and greater exposure, which are conditions that help stimulate seasonal changes in vegetation, along with decreasing daylight hours. Fall coloration will wash down the mountainsides of these so-called quartzite monadnocks, and paint the Piedmont in brilliant color as the season advances. A similar process occurs along the Piedmont’s western border with the higher Blue Ridge Province. The last areas to change will be the eastern limits of the Piedmont where elevations and temperatures are milder.
Word comes from Josh Hemric of Pilot Mountain State Park, for example, that although not a lot of change has occurred since last week, flowering dogwoods, sourwoods and a few selected maples at the very top of the mountain where conditions are quite exposed, are yellow-orange, red and purple. A similar report is taken from Dave Cook at Hanging Rock State Park where he calls attention to noticeable changes at higher elevations in flowering dogwoods and black gums, and that the forest canopy is at about 2 percent color. To the west, Bruce Beerbower from Catawba Science Center near Hickory says that flowering dogwoods and red maples are showing the earliest colors, while Sumac shows “wisps” of crimson, and eastern redbuds with some yellow foliage. The remainder of the Piedmont, except for scattered, subtle changes, is green.
The roadsides of our Piedmont region, however, are now covered in beautiful yellow wildflowers. Goldenrod, tickseed sunflower, helianthus and others are making our byways a thing of beauty. Enjoy them while they last!
September 21st Weekly Report - Mountains
With this report, your mountain fall foliage color reporters begin their tour of duty for Fall 2011. We have a suite of people prepared to bring you detailed reports of fall color changes from the northern part of the chain in Ashe County, down past Boone and Grandfather Mountain, past Mt. Mitchell to Asheville and Waynesville, then on down to Cullowhee and Franklin, and even including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Each week we will summarize the state of fall foliage color here in the mountains so that you can better plan your trip up here.
As of this week, things are still predominantly green over the entire mountain range. However, we have noticed some isolated trees turning prematurely this year. Sugar maples began turning in late July in Boone, and there are isolated trees with substantial yellow and orange colors already. The same can be said for some red maples, but they are not quite as advanced as the sugar maples. Sourwood trees are turning a brilliant red, especially at lower elevations, although some are completely red along the Blue Ridge Parkway between Boone and Grandfather Mountain. Tulip poplars at lower elevations are turning yellow, and some leaves are browning up and falling off already. This is what happened last year, and is most likely a remnant of the summer drought.
At Grandfather, mountain ash have stunningly red berries, and the birches are starting to turn yellow. American ash above 5,000’ are turning a deep purple color. Winged sumac are turning red along the roadsides, as are poison ivy and Virginia creeper. Dogwoods have turned early this year too, but are a dull purple at this point in time. From Asheville to Waynesville and Cullowhee, our reporters have noted much the same with regards to fall color development. A lot of people will notice the buckeyes turning orange and brown now, but that is due to a fungus that hits the leaves at this time of year. The black locust have been attacked by a native leaf mining insect, and although it looks bad for the tree, they come back just fine year after year.
In Cullowhee, our reporter finds colors are more advanced at 2,100’ than higher up in Highlands, which is at 4,000’. That’s unusual, because color normally develops first at the higher elevations and then works its way downslope. Our hot summer and mild drought may be reversing that pattern! In the Cashiers-Highlands area, the forests are still mostly green.
Your fall foliage reporters for this year are: myself, Howie Neufeld, Department of Biology, Appalachian State University in Boone; Jesse Pope, Director of Education and Natural Resource Management at Grandfather Mountain; Jonathan Horton, Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Asheville; Susan Sachs, National Park Service Ranger, Highlands Learning Center, Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Waynesville; Kathy Mathews and Beverly Collins, Department of Biology, Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, although Beverly reports from Franklin, and finally, James Costa, Executive Director, Highlands Biological Station reporting from Highlands.
Follow us on this website, but you can also visit my ASU fall color website and on Facebook, plus engage us through our Twitter account and my blog. Also, I will post an essay each week on my fall color page on the science of fall colors, so check those out too. Have a great time in the High Country this fall!
September 21st Weekly Report - Piedmont
With North Carolina’s second-hottest summer fading to memory (2010 registered as the warmest), the Piedmont region welcomes cooler temperatures and the colorful fall season. Although Piedmont forests and roadside vegetation remain predominantly green, a slight yellow cast is observed in our forested landscapes. The red berries of Flowering Dogwood and a few subtle changes among selected maples, sourwoods, and winged sumacs, are early indicators of seasonal transition. Among the first species to change from green to yellow, tulip poplars are already showing some golden yellow foliage and will provide a bright background for brilliant fall colors as the season progresses.
For the next eight weeks, we will collate fall foliage leaf reports from throughout the North Carolina Piedmont. The region’s rolling topography and its many easily accessible forested areas, waterways, parks and reservoirs are ideal landscapes for enjoying autumn colors. Don Seriff, Natural Resource Coordinator for Mecklenburg County, will provide observations from the southern reaches of our Piedmont, while Dave Cook and Josh Hemric of Hanging Rock and Pilot Mountain State Parks, respectively, share their week-to-week changes from higher Piedmont elevations. Marion Owens from the Uwharrie Mountains and Eldorado Outpost, and Piedmont Environmental Center in High Point, will report on central areas, and the greater Piedmont Triad region. To the west near the Blue Ridge escarpment, come reports from Bruce Beerbower of the Catawba Science Center, and to the east, staff from William B Umstead State Park. Through this reporting network we will watch as fall colors paint the Piedmont Plateau. Tune in each week to Visitnc.com, and see what areas provide the best viewing for our beautiful fall foliage!
added: September 28, 2011
updated: November 17, 2011
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