“What happens in September will tell the color story for October and beyond,” said Chimney Rock Park Naturalist Ron Lance, who has more than 25 years experience studying native plant life. “Thunderstorms have helped on local levels within the mountains. More rain in the coming weeks followed by cool weather would bode well for a burst of fall color.”
“Weather highs and lows do not affect mountainous terrain like a uniform blanket,” Lance continued. “The varying topography, soils, geology and drainage patterns of the Blue Ridge Mountains support complex microclimates. Every year there are pockets of color that are more brilliant than general areas, so touring in October and November will reward visitors cruising for color, despite drought conditions.”
“The Blue Ridge Parkway produces strong leaf color year after year. Home to diverse microclimates, like sheltered coves where water drains down from the ridges, the Parkway is a good bet for leaf peepers,” said Dr. Gary Walker, a biology professor at Appalachian State University. “High elevations – like Grandfather Mountain and Balsam Mountain – will be rewarding as well, due to the likelihood of early frosts that lock in color intensifying leaf sugars.”
Light frost, cool nights and warm sunny days enhance the breakdown of chlorophyll, changes in sugars and other metabolic processes that lead to the patchwork of color that drenches the mountainsides each fall.
With elevations that range from 1,500 feet in the valleys to 6,684 feet at Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River, the Asheville area is a fall leaf kaleidoscope from late September through early November as the foliage color beginning at the highest elevations slowly creeps down the mountainsides.
Color hunters hoping to find the perfect “peak” time for fall foliage are surprised to learn that Western North Carolina boasts one of the most extended fall foliage seasons in the nation due to varying elevations, microclimates and nearly 100 species of deciduous trees.
“Southern Appalachia has the most naturally diverse ecosystems in the United States,” said Grandfather Mountain Park Naturalist Jesse Pope. “This can make fall predictions tricky, but creates an environment where there is always color somewhere.”
“The most vivid color will be found in areas that have retained a good amount of moisture. Leaf lookers should set their sights on northern slopes, valleys and ravines – a canoe ride along a stream corridor or a high elevation hike could reveal some fall magic this year,” said Alison Arnold, director of horticulture at the North Carolina Arboretum.
The harbingers of fall such as the white blooms on sourwood trees and bright red berries of the mountain ash generally begin to appear by mid-September.
“Early fall, the sourwood saplings and Virginia creeper will show off a nice strong red. Sugar maples are responsible for much of this region’s color with a spectrum that ranges from yellow to gold to orange to intense scarlet,” Walker continued. “It depends on your fall color aesthetic – I enjoy late fall when the tulip poplars are golden and the hardy oak trees turn purple.”
To help visitors locate the perfect autumn vista, weekly fall color reports for the mountains of Western North Carolina are posted by the Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau at www.fallinthemountains.com and a toll-free hotline (800-921-9698). Leaf color reports direct visitors to the best fall fireworks from week to week, using advice from Blue Ridge Parkway and U.S. Forest Service officials, as well as a cadre of color hunters throughout the mountains.
In addition to the weekly color reports, scenic drive recommendations, events and festivals, photo galleries, Webcam links and video are available online. Visitors are encouraged to share their fall photo favorites and access insider tips (e.g., Come to town Sunday through Thursday for fewer crowds, better room availability and shorter wait times at local restaurants).
Weekly color reports begin September 20. For more information about planning a fall getaway to the Asheville area, visit www.fallinthemountains.com, send an e-mail to comments@exploreasheville.com or call the toll-free hotline (800-921-9698).
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NOTE TO EDITOR:
Weekly fall color reports, news and more are available via RSS feed at http://blog.exploreasheville.com/.
Media inquiries:
Dodie Stephens, 828.257.4959
Public Relations Manager
dstephens@exploreasheville.com
Visitor inquiries:
800.921.9698
Release and fall photos available at:
www.exploreasheville.com/media.asp
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