It’s that time of year again! This is my first post of the fall color of the season and really there is not much to talk about right now in terms of fall color. Not only does it not really look much like fall it really doesn’t feel much like fall in terms of the weather because we’ve had highs in the lower to mid 80s this past week. As fall color stands right now you have to go to extreme Northern Iowa to even find more significant change and even here the color is only on a few tree species and is not yet bright. Going into Minnesota and neighboring Wisconsin the color is a bit better here. Temperatures are expected to cool off starting tomorrow. This along with a continuing lowering sun angle should trigger some of the early trees to start putting on some color especially across the north.

This is the fall color in my neighborhood as of this morning. As can be seen there is really not much color happening here in Southern Iowa as of yet. Even many of the early changing trees like Ash are still summer-like green. Black Walnuts and some Green Ash are dropping leaves without turning a color because of a leaf fungal disease known as blackspot that has been especially bad this year with all the moisture we have received. I have noted a few Ash turning a bit, but the color is very muted and not showy. The only real color in my area right now is the beautiful golden brown cornfields and red/burgundy prairie grasses that are turning. We are right on track for a typical peak time which is normally right around Halloween in this area.