Virginia Department
of Forestry

Virginia is diverse in landscape, from the highest mountains to the Eastern Shore. The variety in landscape and elevation provides a long fall foliage season, starting earliest in the higher elevations and moving eastward. Fall colors generally peak sometime between October 10 and October 31; however, these dates can vary from year to year, based on factors such as temperature and rainfall.

Weekly Report

October 29, 2025

By this point in the leaf-peeping season, Virginia’s highest elevations have seen better days. The earlier species have dropped their leaves already, with some going straight to brown before doing so. Upper elevations that still have leaves display a predominant gold to orange theme and a good number of bare trees.

In contrast, lower to mid-elevations – from northern Virginia down the Blue Ridge to the North Carolina border and across the Cumberland Plateau – are probably as bright as they’re going to get. Keep in mind that “peak” foliage is a moving target, as you’ll never see ALL of the leaves in fall splendor at the same time.

Virginia’s many oak species are always the last holdout of green among our deciduous trees. Across the mountains and Piedmont, oaks are now beginning to change, but in a given area, you’ll find some green, some amber, some brown, and some deep red. The Piedmont overall is looking good this week, with beeches yellowing throughout the forest mid- and understory, and some standout maples looking festive against the gold and brown of earlier species and the constant green of pines. The foliage season will continue into November for eastern Piedmont and Coastal Plain locales. Sweetgum, maple, and hickory are brightening the capital area, with oaks still to come.

October 22, 2025

Let’s admit it: this year’s fall color is a little duller than it could have been with perfect weather conditions. That said, fall in Virginia is always a beautiful season!

All of southwestern Virginia and the Alleghanies are near, at, or just past peak this week. The Shenandoah Valley and northern Blue Ridge should be approaching peak color this weekend.

Across the Piedmont, the abundant oaks arrive late to the fall color party, but you’ll see an amber, rust, or crimson branch here and there across the region. Meanwhile, watch for mid-season standouts like yellow hickories and flaming red maples. Did you know that individual red maples can vary quite a bit, from pale yellow to orange to the most audacious red?

Low-lying areas in the Coastal Plain are usually the first spots to color, often featuring red maple and multicolored sweetgum. On the wildflower side, the roadsides of eastern Virginia boast the fluffy white seed heads of groundseltree, an unusual shrub in the aster family.

Goldenrod and bushy bluestem, backed by groundseltree

Bear in mind that as leaves change color and loosen their grip, windy conditions will blow many of them off the trees, so catch them while you can. Many of the most colorful parts of the state also have quite a few bare trees already.

October 16, 2025

The wild weather of fall – from not enough to too much rain, and from cool nights back to warm and humid ones – continues to make foliage prediction difficult. Color is inevitable, but when, and how intense?

In the mountainous regions – Blue Ridge, Ridge and Valley, Alleghanies, and Cumberland Plateau – color change this week ranges from 15 percent at lower elevations to peak or near peak at the higher ones. Overall, the colors are a bit muted, with yellow and gold predominating, but maples are dotting the landscape with orange and red.

The Piedmont is slowly turning greenish-gold, with occasional red highlights from sumac, dogwood, Virginia creeper, black gum, and red maple. Hickories are adding a welcome bright yellow to the more muted sycamores, walnuts, and yellow-poplars.

Appomattox County

Statewide, in areas that saw rain and wind last week, many leaves were battered off the trees. But for those trees that are still mostly green, the extra moisture has simply slowed the color development a bit. Sadly, the rain is too little, too late for trees that were highly stressed by late-summer drought. Those that are going straight to brown now will be the ones to watch for health issues next spring and summer.

October 9, 2025

If fall has one constant, it is this: the timing of fall color is hard to predict. September promised an early fall, but warm weather and strategically timed rain and wind have slowed the development of great fall foliage.

There are exceptions, of course. The Grayson Highlands are near their peak coloration, and the Alleghenies will get there in a week or so. Other mountain areas range from minimal to about one third changed.

Looking out over low to moderate elevations statewide, you may notice the mountainsides are mostly green, while the roadside trees have definitely been painted with autumn’s brush. Trees in exposed areas are more susceptible to temperature changes and other stresses, and that’s a win for travelers. This week, colorful roadside trees can be found throughout central and northern Virginia, the moderate elevations of the Blue Ridge parkway, and parts of the Cumberland Plateau. In addition to lovely trees, Virginia has a number of wildflower species that bloom in succession from late summer through fall, maintaining splashes of golden yellow, white, and purple along roadways.

October 2, 2025

Fall foliage sometimes comes in fits and starts. Rainy days and warm, humid nights this week have slowed the development of red pigments, but progress will start again with cooler temperatures. Less dependent on temperature is the slow but steady march toward yellow foliage, instigated by shortening days.

Some parts of the Cumberland Plateau, Alleghenies, and higher elevations of the southern Blue Ridge have as much as 30 percent color change…in spots. Aspect (the direction a slope faces) and microclimate features can make the difference between a green slope and a patchwork one at this time of year.

While central and northern Virginia sport fall shades here and there, eastern Virginia is still dressed in summer green. There, the edges of swamps will be the first places to show a change. Craving more color now? Take a trip to a city. Urban trees live under stress and often change color before their rural cousins.

Early species to watch include yellow-poplar, black walnut, and sweet birch for yellow; sassafras and an occasional sugar maple for orange; sumac, Virginia creeper, black gum, dogwood, and a few early maples for red. On the wildflower side, goldenrod and asters are also worth a country drive in early October.

September 24, 2025

According to the calendar, fall arrived earlier this week. Virginia’s forests agree. Thanks to dry weather in August and September, this fall’s color show is starting a bit earlier than usual.

Prolonged dry weather in late summer often triggers early color changes. In particular, we’re seeing development of red colors across western and central Virginia, which usually doesn’t happen until October. If you’re planning a leaf-peeping trip across the state, choose the early side of the typical dates shown on the color map above.

Prediction of “peak” coloration is complicated in Virginia, because we have a wide diversity of tree species that color at different times, creating a long foliage season where red, yellow, and orange intersperse with green or brown. On the positive side, many people find this mixture even more colorful than a palette of only autumn tones.

What’s happening with forest color this week? Throughout the mountains and in north central Virginia you’ll encounter spotty yellows and reds, especially along roadsides. Yellow-poplar is waving flags of bright yellow, and sassafras is blushing pale orange. Sumac, Virginia creeper, black gum, dogwood, and a few early maples cover all the shades of red, from pink to scarlet to nearly maroon. The highest mountains of southwest Virginia, the Blue Ridge, and the Alleghenies have a few areas with 10 to 25% of leaves changed, although there is still a good bit of green. Eastern Virginia is mostly unchanged, except for an obvious dulling of green as chlorophyll production slows. Statewide, moisture-stressed urban trees are also beginning to color from the top down.

While you wait for the big bang of October color, fall wildflowers are putting on a spectacular show now along unmown roadsides and fields. Sporting bright yellow are tickseed, wingstem, crownbeard, and goldenrod. Intermixed are pops of white from bonesets (aka thoroughworts) and blue to purple from asters, ironweeds and mistflowers.

Goldenrods at Chincoteague

Why Leaves Change Color

• Chlorophyll gives leaves their familiar green color.
• Carotenoids produce yellow, orange, and brown colors.
• Anthocyanins produce red and purple colors and are the same pigments that give color to fruits like blueberries and cherries.

Both chlorophyll and carotenoids are present in the leaf cells throughout the growing season. During this time, chlorophyll is produced and leaves appear green. As days get shorter, chlorophyll production slows and eventually stops. With the green color no longer visible, the yellow carotenoids are revealed. During autumn, bright light and excess plant sugars produce red anthocyanins within leaf cells.

Virginia’s many species of deciduous trees create an interesting mix of autumn colors. Here are some colors you can expect from some of our most common species:

Fall Foliage Resources

• Blue Ridge Parkway
• George Washington and Jefferson National Forest
• Shenandoah National Park
• Explore Fall
• Smoky Mountains Fall Foliage Prediction Map
• All things Fall In Virginia from the Virginia Tourism Corporation
• Find a state forest to view fall color
• Prince William Forest Park is an oasis of natural beauty and human history located just south of Washington, DC.

Fall Foliage Driving Tours

Try our DOF-recommended Fall Foliage Driving Tours.

Additional Resources

Image	Title	ID	Description	Content Type	View	hf:tax:document-category	hf:tax:Media
	Forest Facts: Virginia in the Fall	F00009	Forest Facts information sheet provides an illustrated explanation of the science of leaves changing colors, the role of pigments, effects of the calendar and weather, why these changes occur, and fall leaf identification information. Target audience: Youth – elementary age. Printed copies available.	Publication	View	education public-information	publication

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