Fall color is quickly starting across Iowa and color has become quite abundant in earlier changing trees. This change literally seemed to occur just in the past couple of days here in the Des Moines area. Tree showing color are strictly pretty much the ash species. They are turning colors of golden yellow in many boulevards around shopping centers and along roadsides. White ash has started to turn purple as well. As one looks hard enough you can also seen Maples starting to show a hint of reds especially in silver/red crosses such as Autumn blaze maple. I also saw a few stressed Sugar maples starting to turn orange as well. However as you look across the entire tree canopy it still appears primarily green with a few patches of color here and there. I am going with %15 color change in this area, with our area showing some color and just starting for Des Moines/southern Iowa

Fall color across Iowa show the northern and eastern part of the start is about 1 week ahead of the rest of the state. Low color is being reported in Mason City and Decorah. Here colors are more bright and there is more being seen but there is still a long ways to go before peak. The rest of the state, Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, Omaha/Council Bluffs are all reporting 15% with only some color being reported. Normal peak time for northern Iowa is the 1st week of October and the 2nd to 3rd weeks for the rest of Iowa.