Sunday, September 26, 2010

Fall Color Prognostication Society (FCPS) provides weekly Leaf Reports

The Fall Leaf Season has begun in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina! This year the FCPS will be providing weekly updates covering the mountains in North Carolina, from the Virginia border in the north, to Murphy and Joyce Kilmer in the far southern regions of NC. The unusually hot temperatures of the summer have left an element of unpredictability in what is otherwise anticipated to be good fall color this year.

The Fall Color Prognostication Society (FCPS) includes Dr. Jim Costa, Director of the Highlands Biological Station in Highlands, Drs. Kathy Mathews and Beverly Collins, both in the Biology Department at Western Carolina, Dr. Jonathan Horton, in the Biology Department at UNC-Asheville, Mr. Jesse Pope, Chief Naturalist and Education Specialist at Grandfather Mountain and Dr. Howard Neufeld, from the Biology Department at Appalachian State University.

September 22 Fall Leaf Report:
Boone NC and the high Country:  The dominant color on the landscape is still green, with just a hint of orange/yellow and red at higher elevations. Read more...
Grandfather Mountain:  By next Friday, there should be some good colors to talk about at the higher elevations, with the widespread peak around the second weekend in October (9th -10th).  Read more...
Asheville and the Parkway:  Tulip poplars are either turning yellow or going directly to brown, while at higher elevations, the birch and maple are starting to turn yellow.  Read more...
Smoky Mountains areas (Cullowhee):  Dogwood and sourwood are just starting to turn red while Sweet birches are turning yellow along the roadsides.  Read more...
Highlands area: Sourwoods are definitely turning, as are the dogwoods and Virginia creeper.  Read more...

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