Arbor Day Message Board

IhateSuburbanSprawl · Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 5:53 pm Post subject: Fall Colors 2009?

How are your fall colors this autumn? We have had so much rain and so many overcast days that it doesn't seem as pretty as usual. But Sunday was gorgeous and there were plenty of breathtaking views. The sugar maples are stupendous! Various oaks are starting to turn and I saw some hickories in full fall yellow. But there are plenty of green leaves remaining, meaning that we have weeks of fall color to go!

G-Dub · Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 6:03 pm Post subject: RE: Fall Colors 2009?

Pretty terrible, the ashes went decent yellow and purple for a couple days but they always say you need cold nights and warm days for good color. Everything just looks dead now because our days have been maxing out at 42 degrees F...just like that we went from the high 60's of September, and have had two weeks of temps with highs below 50...sucks.

TreeFiddy · Oak Joined: 20 Jul 2008 Posts: 189 Location: Indiana

I think this year may be one of the best around here. I have a mature red maple that is almost always 90%yellow / 10% red. This year it's mostly red. I have a mature Sugar Maple, that has always just turned brown in the 7 previous years I've lived here. It is actually showing a decent yellow/orange color this year. The White Ashes have been very good around here. A nice sunny day would be nice to have pretty soon, so the colors could stand out more.

We've had 22 straight days of below average temperatures, so maybe that has something to do with it. We are owed good color to make up for the crappy fall weather.

Upperhand · Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 5:54 pm Post subject: RE: Fall Colors 2009?

The Fall colors in WNY this year have been spectacular. We had an unusually dry September (21+ days without rain), then a wet/cold pattern arrived and has been here since, with temps bottoming out in the 20F range the past several nights. Dry/crisp days during the Fall make for the best color displays.

My Red Sunset Maple is a deep orange/red color right now, it's near peak, and my autumn blaze maple turned a brilliant orange-red as well. One of my swamp white oaks is starting to turn, leaves appear to be taking on a orange/gold color. The forest behind my property has brilliant shades of yellows, oranges, and reds throughout. I haven't seen reds this spectacular for years...

IhateSuburbanSprawl · Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 9:44 pm Post subject: RE: Fall Colors 2009?

The sugar maples are in full fall splendor right now and are absolutely gorgeous. A lot more red than yellow--the reverse of last year. I just love it when it looks like "God spilled paint on them"--to quote a dearly departed family member. They are so beautiful when they're red, orange, yellow, and green all on the same tree, with the colors moving downward. Then comes those breathtaking views of full color in the bright sunshine against a clear blue sky on a crisp autumn afternoon . . . Ah! That is when you breathe deep and are thankful to be alive.

tntreeherder · Oak Joined: 28 Dec 2006 Posts: 413 Location: Knoxville,Tn

Just now getting color in the Tennessee valley. Looks like a typical year so far.

Sun 10-18

Upperhand · Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 1:32 pm Post subject: RE: Fall Colors 2009?

Here are some photos I took of my Sunset Red Maple this afternoon (we finally had some sun for a brief period of time)...

Here's the last photo, showing the Sunset Red Maple, and one of my Swamp White Oaks which is turning an orange/golden color. I've wrapped all my trees with Jobes trunk wrap which is a breathable fabric that will protect the trunks during the Winter from mice, rabbit, and deer. We had problems with mice last year, they girdled one of my trees so I took preventative measures this year as well as mowing my lawn really short.

You can see the colors of the various Sugar Maples, Cottonwoods, Oaks, and Ashes in the forest in the far background...

IhateSuburbanSprawl · Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 10:46 am Post subject: RE: Fall Colors 2009?

We are approaching the height of our fall color and it is simply breathtaking. Driving is a delight! I am now taking my slightly longer, favorite fall routes, just to take in the all of the glory.

TreeFiddy · Oak Joined: 20 Jul 2008 Posts: 189 Location: Indiana

Rain and high winds put a premature end to peak color. Pretty disappointing. I had a couple of nice maples that had good color for about 2 days and lost 95% of their leaves overnight. There is still some good color, but it could have been spectacular.

IhateSuburbanSprawl · Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 9:08 pm Post subject: RE: Fall Colors 2009?

Yeah, that last rain really brought the leaves down. We had about two or three spectacular days. The rest was disappointing--not because of the colors, but because of the lack of sunshine! But, wow, wasn't it something earlier this week? That was our peak . . .

gr8fzy1 · Oak Joined: 11 Jul 2007 Posts: 168 Location: Waterbury, CT

Okay, I got some color shots!
Red Oak.

Norway Maple.

Dawn Redwood.

Unknown Holly.

Unknown shrub.

Silver Maple.

White Willow.

My European Beech.

IhateSuburbanSprawl · Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:58 am Post subject: RE: Fall Colors 2009?

Nice pictures! The shrub is a burning bush.

gr8fzy1 · Oak Joined: 11 Jul 2007 Posts: 168 Location: Waterbury, CT