It looks like we will have an early fall this year. Some trees are starting to turn colors due to the unusually cooler temperatures that we have experienced this year. An early fall onset does not necessarily mean that we will experience an early winter though. Temperatures have consistently been in the seventies and low eighties all summer long here in Iowa. Trees and plants have been tricked into thinking that fall is on its way. One good example of shrubs is the burning bush. Almost a month ago we started seeing the onset of burning bushes turning orange to red in color. Depending on where you live and where the plant is installed, you may see a slight leaf discoloration to a near full onset of fall colors. One of the trees that is most noticeably changing its leaf color is the autumn blaze maple. Some of the examples out there are half turned over to fall colors already. The leaves are starting to turn from green to bright red. Another noticeable tree is the locust. Some of the outer leaves are starting to turn yellow which is their natural fall color. Most of the color change in these plants has been gradual and not dramatic over a short course of time. It will probably be around early fall when these trees finish their transition to fall color. It will be interesting to see what happens this year with fall colors.
What does an early fall mean?
Early fall will most likely prolong the beauty of the changing leaves as long as we do not receive an early frost. You will get to see more color for a longer period of time as long as the frost holds off. Snow might also be closer than you think. If the trending cooler temperatures keep pace with this summer, it wouldn’t be unexpected to see snow in October. What ever the case may be, this year sure beats the drought of last year.