New England Fall Foliage Largely Past Peak

As the calendar flips to November, we find that New Engand’s fall foliage has move past peak across about ninety-five percent of the region’s reach.  Varying degrees of lingering color certainly still catch the eye, but so too did the beautiful crescent moon setting between the bare trees across my yard last night.  It’s a view that’s been obscured since the leaves burst forth last May, and one I’ll become more than acquainted during the long season ahead.

For those looking for a nice fall hike or drive this weekend with dashes of color, the options are many.  For those looking for perfect peak color, the options are few, if they exist at all.  Recent swings in temperature across Southern New England has caused the color to come in waves, and a succession of storms has stripped many of the early turning trees. It could be argued that though this region had a long season with some great color, they never really had a true peak this year.

The brightest remaining color this weekend will be found along the immediate coast of Southern Connecticut and Rhode Island, as well as the Cape and Islands.  Here you will find trees in all stages, from bold to bare and everything in between.  A good number of the big maples in pastoral and suburban settings were still coming on last weekend though, and a lot of bright color can still be found.  It’s not a traditional peak, but it’s certainly still beautiful.

Away from the immediate coast, many of the maples have peaked, and the oaks are providing the majority of the color in the canopy.  These trees never turn as bright as some of the other hardwoods, but their golds, rusts and browns do provide a nice late autumn palette to gaze upon.  You will find these trees in the best color in an arc from interior Connecticut, Central and Eastern Massachusetts, Southern New Hampshire and Southern Maine.

Unlike southern portions of the region, Northern New England did have beautiful peak conditions this year, but that all occurred weeks ago.  The mountains are dusted in snow with more in the forecast, and the hillsides are bare with only speckles of color.  Color is still found in much of the understory at lower elevations though, as young beech trees are reluctant to shed their leaves.  With the canopy bare, these golden brown leaves can simple glow in the right light.

There is one other species of tree that turns later than all others in Northern New England, and it’s the most unique foliage tree in the forest.  The tamarack is a conifer, complete with cones and needles, that turns bright yellow and sheds its coat every late autumn.  They typically grow on the edges of wetlands, and other lowlands and moist soils, and they are beginning their show right now.

One last option for late foliage color is the city of Boston itself, which because of its heat island and proximity to water, holds beautiful color in the parks and promenade through the first week in November.  The storms have definitely made things a bit more ragged even there this year, but it is a beautiful time of year to take a walk along the Charles or visit the Public Gardens.

While the opportunities to go leaf peeping as a stand alone activity are winding down, there is still plenty of late color to enjoy as a backdrop to your outdoor activities.  As you observe the lingering colors, we invite you to make your final reports to our foliage app and Facebook page to finalize our seasonal data set.

Most importantly though, we hope you enjoy the beauty that remains before it all leaves us.