Leaf color to peak in next few weeks, forester says

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Cooler temperatures are coming together to create some festive fall foliage around Southeast Missouri.

"We're starting to see some fall color, and it will probably be peaking out sometime in the next couple of weeks," said Ross Glenn, a resource forester with the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Glenn said some have noted that the fall color is a bit behind schedule this year, and he speculated the leaves may not be quite as colorful this year.

"It has to do with the very dry conditions this summer," he said. "It may not be as vibrant, but we should have some really good fall color."

However, Glenn said, there is no real timetable for the arrival of the fall color.

"Every year, there is a little bit of variance as far as exactly when it is," he said.

Chris Crabtree, natural resource steward at Big Oak State Park in East Prairie, Mo., said, "Mid-October is the prime time, in my opinion. But it changes a week or two here or there every year."

At Big Oak, Crabtree said, a few of the trees "have good color" and are starting to change.

"The green ash has some good, vibrant color to it," he said. "And the sweet gums are just beginning to yellow up."

On Thursday, the Department of Conservation updated its site regarding the southeast area. It indicates colorful weather began in the region, especially north of Highway 34, around the second weekend of October.

"The maples, gums, dogwoods and sassafras were showing rich reds, yellows and oranges," the site said. "The hackberry, elms, silver maples and hickories provided warm yellows and browns. The white and post oaks were russet, and the scarlet and black oaks were put on reds, yellows and some browns."

The weather has everything to do with fall colors -- a hard freeze makes the leaves red and purple, while warmer days send trees the wrong message, leading to less-than-spectacular reds and purples, according to a news release from the University of Missouri.

"The best conditions for fall colors are cool but not freezing temperatures -- night temperatures in the 40s and day temperatures in the 60s," said Stephen Pallardy, a University of Missouri forestry professor. "We have the potential for good fall color in most of the state where we haven't had a severe drought."

Timing is everything, Pallardy said. That's because falling temperatures and shorter days indicate to trees that winter is coming. In deciduous trees -- those that shed leaves in the fall -- the arrival of autumn triggers furious preparation for the lean months ahead.

Glenn said that in addition to Big Oak Tree State Park, the General Watkins Conservation Area near Benton, Mo., and Crowley's Ridge near Bloomfield, Mo., are good places to check out the fall color because of the species of trees there.