Fall Leaf Report Weekly Update

October 20 Fall Color Report: Color is believed to be peaking in the Boon Area and throughout the "high Country". The major change from last weekend to this one has been the continued coloration by the maples and the beginning of coloration by the red, scarlet, pin and black oaks

Between Asheville and Highlands colors arrived early this year at the higher elevations and may peak at about the same time as in Boone, which is somewhat unusual. At lower elevations, colors should peak this week and be good through the next 2 weekends,  including the Lake Lure/Chimney Rock.

In the Great Smoky Mountain National Park colors are slightly past peak in the highest elevations (above 4,000') of the park. Colors are near peak in many mid-elevation areas of the park, however, this year there are still a number of green leaves mixed in with fully-colored and falling leaves at mid-elevation.

At low elevation, pockets of vivid color have developed, with a number trees still with green leaves. Many of the trees along the roadsides such as Little River Road are at peak, while the mountainsides above the road are still rather green. Leaf colors on the North Carolina side of the park are further along than those on the Tennessee side. Get more details...

Leaf Report Update

October 1 Update for Fall Leaf Color:
Color is increasing at the higher elevations around Grandfather Mountain. Ash, Yellow birch, sourwood, Black gum, the Red and Sugar maples, and the virburnums, such as hobblebush, are all starting their foliage displays now. In the Boone area, maples are really starting to show, as are the birches, dogwoods, beech and ash trees. The hills are still mostly green, but patches of color are starting to show up, especially along the higher ridges. From Highlands up to Asheville is still mostly green, but the colors are beginning to show. Read more...

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...