Roan is also a “bald”, that is, a large portion of the summit has no trees, even though it looks like they could grow there. red) and blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis and/or Rubus canadensis), a deep purple. I have posted lots of photos of this species here because I like this tree, so pardon my bias! Other woody species that are turning color are mountain maple (yellow/orange Acer spicatum), birch (Betula alleghaniensis, turning yellow), and blueberries/huckleberries (Vaccinum sp. The berries are a bright red that is stunning when viewed against a deep blue sky. Roan has an abundance of this species and all the trees this year are fruiting profusely (a mast year). It may also be a vibrant one too, since the conditions for good color are present this fall. That will speed up the development of color and so far, we are still looking at a fall color season that is on time. Temperatures could drop into the 30s at night. ![]() But the forecast is calling for a significant decrease in temperature by the second week in October, with highs in the 50s and 60s, which means 40s and 50s at the higher elevations. The weather has warmed up this week, but because the skies are clear, temperatures drop significantly at night. Next weekend should be great for foliage viewing and even the next week after that. ![]() Based on the amount of color that I saw here and along the Blue Ridge Parkway (which we took on the way home), forests are about 25% colored up now, with a few places more than a third colored. I’m happy to report that above 4,000’ elevation colors are coming along nicely. Not too hard a hike, although there are significant portions with a lot of uphill climbing, and it is rocky in parts. From there you can see Grandfather Mountain and the Linville Gorge Wilderness area, and to your right Mt. The best hike is to head out for about two miles, going past Jane Bald and heading up the tall mountain past that point to the monument on the rock. Begin your hike by heading north on the Appalachian Trail (on your left as you come up the mountain). There is parking at the Gap and a rest room. Just head into TN from Elk Park, NC on US 19E, turn left at the sign for Roan Mountain State Park, and 10 miles or so later you’ll get to Carver’s Gap at the top. Roan is an easy drive from Linville, NC (about 35 minutes) and about 1 hour from Boone. This was his first foray to the mountain and also to the Blue Ridge Parkway. This week I traveled to Roan Mountain on the NC/TN border along with a colleague from the Chemistry Department at Appstate, Eduardo de Campos, who hails from Brazil. Nice colors can stick around for a week or more, although the peak usually comes and goes in just a few days, weather permitting (no high winds for example)”.įall Color Report for the Week of Oct 1, 2023 Usually, fall colors peak around Oct 11-14 in the Boone area sooner by a few days up to a week at higher elevations, later at lower ones. Sunny days means more photosynthesis, and more sugars produced in the leaves, and sugars induce anthocyanin production.Ī slight drought impairs uptake of nitrogen (we think) and some experiments suggest that plants low on N make more anthocyanins. Trees tend to make more red colors (anthocyanins) in the fall when it's cool and sunny, and if we have a slight but not severe drought. So, the quality will depend on how much “redness” we have this fall. People think fall colors are good when they last a long time, and have plenty of brilliant reds interspersed with the oranges and yellows. What happens in mid- to late August and in September, temperature-wise, will be more important, especially for quality (notably the intensity of the red colors)”. So, at this point, I don't see anything to make me think that fall colors will be adversely affected, either in timing or quality. Precipitation has only minor effects on timing in the fall. Neufeld shared some thoughts just before previous fall seasons that are still relevant for this or any fall season:Īs for wet weather, there have been some publications on the impacts of weather on fall color (especially timing, not so much quality). For reports from previous years click here.ĭr. Howard Neufeld, Professor of Plant Eco-physiology at Appalachian State University, better known as The Fall Color Guy to provide information as the colors start changing. ![]() For the 12th year in a row, is teaming up with Dr.
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