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 23, 2024

This has been a week of rapid color development across the state. Conditions have been ideal for the development of red pigments: sunny days and clear, cool nights.

Peak color arrived in all its glory throughout Virginia’s mountains this week. The Piedmont ranges from partial to near peak color as well. The highest mountain areas are a bit past peak, but still beautiful. It’s even looking a lot like fall in the Coastal Plain, where low-lying areas often show color first.

There is still a lot of green in the woods of eastern and central Virginia, thanks to the prevalence of oaks, which always change later in the season. The still-green oaks contrast nicely with golden-yellow hickories and flaming red maples.

October 17, 2024

As predicted, this fall foliage season has been unusual. A short drive can reveal anything from bare branches to green canopies to spectacular foliage. Standout trees this week include hickory, birch, and walnut (yellow); sugar maple (orange); and red maple and sourwood (red).

The highest elevations of southwest Virginia and the counties bordering West Virginia moved rapidly toward peak this week, thanks to last week’s sunny days and chilly nights. Lower elevations in the southwest and most of the Blue Ridge range from patchy to 50 percent changed. The oak-dominated Piedmont still has a lot of green, decorated with scattered yellow and red from a variety of trees, shrubs, and vines. Throughout central and eastern Virginia, outer branches and tops of maples are beginning to redden.

An interesting phenomenon has come from the early yellowing of leaves in summer drought-stressed areas. Recent rain and wind knocked off many of those leaves. The surprising result is that some areas appear greener than they did a couple of weeks ago.

Urban trees often color earlier than those in the surrounding countryside. Many street trees are chosen specifically for fall color, with red and sugar maples being the ones to watch now.

As the autumn colors kindle, so too can wildfires. This week ushered in Virginia’s fall fire season. Please be careful with fire as you go about fall yard cleanup and consider alternatives to burning leaves.

October 9, 2024

In fits and starts, fall is creeping across Virginia. The “great fade,” a loss of chlorophyll that often precedes the change to yellow, continues statewide. Many areas have already enjoyed an early red preview from Virginia creeper, dogwood, sourwood, black gum, and sumacs. Overall, there is great variability across the landscape, from green to bright shades to brown, even over small geographic areas.

The high elevations of southwest Virginia and the Alleghanies, as well as patches along the Blue Ridge, are showing partial color – up to 40% in some areas – but there are also areas of green interspersed. Drought-stressed trees, especially in the northern half of the state, began an early color change several weeks ago, following summer’s hot and dry weather. The most highly-stressed trees are browning and losing their leaves quickly, especially after heavy rains knocked off many loose leaves. However, there is still good color to be seen: the yellow of birch, yellow-poplar, and early hickory, orange from sugar maples, and red maple beginning to live up to its name.

In addition to tree foliage, wildflowers brighten the roadsides at this time of year. Look for golden-yellow tickseed sunflowers, goldenrod, and wingstem; white thoroughworts; and a range of purple, pink, and blue from asters, Joe-Pye weed, ironweed, and mistflower.

Storm damage repair continues in some parts of southwest Virginia, so please use extra caution on the roads there.

Update: October 4, 2024

Our regular foliage report will return next week. Many roads in southwest Virginia remain inaccessible due to flood damage from last week’s tropical weather system. If you must travel, please avoid areas where clean-up and repair crews are working.

Access to Channels and Matthews State Forests is closed at this time. See the following links for additional public land closures and cautions:

State Parks and Natural Area Preserves

George Washington and Jefferson National Forests

Department of Wildlife Resources properties and boating access

September 25, 2024

The autumnal equinox has passed, and fall is officially here! In a typical autumn, most of Virginia is still very green in late September. This is NOT a typical year.

This year’s especially dry and hot summer has taken a toll on Virginia’s forests and urban trees alike. This stress will bring fall color early to much of the state. Trees growing in harsh conditions, such as urban areas, high elevation ridgetops, and poor soils, as well as species less adapted to dry conditions, are often the first to hint at fall. Many will go straight to brown or lose their leaves before showing much color.

Signs of stress are already evident statewide in the overall fading of green in our woodlands. Several of the usual “early changers” including tulip-poplar, sycamore, and black walnut – are yellowing and dropping leaves.

Perhaps most surprising this early in the season is the amount of red visible across the landscape. As far east as the Piedmont, many dogwoods have turned dusty rose, their first blush toward a deeper shade. Black gum, sumac, poison ivy and Virginia creeper are showing significant bright red along roadsides. The upper branches of red maple are already showing their namesake hues, which usually aren’t present until mid-season.

No matter the cause for change, the net result, for us, is an earlier peek at a colorful fall landscape.  Enjoy the show, and don’t forget to give any young trees in your yard plenty of water and mulch as they prepare for winter.

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

Contact Us

For more information or questions,  e-mail us or use our contact form.