FALL SPLENDOR: DROUGHT MUTES FALL COLORS

Missouri's fall colors may be a little dull this year.

"I'd say it is going to be a little drab this year, mainly because of the effects of the drought," said Rocky Hayes, urban forester with the Missouri Conservation Department.

Hayes works in the department's regional office in Cape Girardeau.

"A lot of trees sort of turned right from being green to being brown," he said.

"When you have a year like this year, you have a lot of leaves that have already dropped off," said Hayes.

Trees drop their leaves to conserve moisture.

But Hayes said this fall won't be devoid of color.

"We are still going to have color. It is not going to be a total bust," he said. "Trees have been changing colors for thousands of years."

Hayes said fall colors in Southeast Missouri are peaking earlier this year. Falls colors traditionally peak in Southeast Missouri around the third week of October.

"We'll probably see it maybe a week earlier this year," said Hayes. "Your dogwoods, the ones that aren't under severe drought stress, are showing red already," he said.

This area has a large number of oaks and "oaks are not noted to be the most colorful," said Hayes.

"The best color in the fall is if you have cool nights and sunny days," he said. "It prolongs the coloration of the leaves."

The color also is best where there are a wide variety of tree species, he said.

The soil is richer along the Mississippi River and richer soil holds moisture better, Hayes said.

Fall colors typically are out in force near the river, along Highway 177 and at Trail of Tears State Park, he said.

"Those are usually the best drives," said Hayes.

The Mark Twain National Forest is showing fall yellows in its hickory, walnut and ash trees. Some of the oak leaves have turned a burnt orange.

"The maples are more yellow than red," said Charles Gill, spokesman for the Mark Twain National Forest in Rolla.

The National Forest covers some 1.5 million acres.

"The colors are more muted this year," he said. "We are seeing a lot more of the yellows."

Gill said the fall colors are probably best in lower areas, along stream beds rather than on ridge tops where this year's drought took its toll.

Gill said the drought shouldn't deter sightseers. "It is still worth getting out there and driving around."

1-800-898-8895

The toll-free number has information on the fall color at the Mark Twain National Forest in Nissouri and the Ozark-St. Francis and Ouachita national forests in Arkansas.

In Missouri, one suggested scenic route is Highway 72 from Cape Girardeau to Rolla.