WASHINGTON COUNTY, MD — According to the 2024 Maryland Fall Foliage Report, leaves in the western part of the state are expected to change colors earlier than usual this year because of drought conditions.
Foresters say there will likely be more yellow and gold tones and fewer reds and purples.
In Washington County, fall foliage may hit its peak in the third week of October rather than the last according to local foresters. They point to the ongoing drought conditions as a contributing factor:
Washington and Frederick Counties forester Aaron Cook reports, “There is some drought-induced foliage change occurring in walnut, maple, sumac, and boxelder. These are typically early leaf changers, but they are earlier than normal this year. That effect intensifies moving west, where drought conditions are more severe.”
“I would expect the usual late October peak for Frederick and Washington Counties,” Cook says, adding, “Colors will likely be muted on our mountain ranges, and the peak may be the 3rd week rather than the last week of October this year given the drought conditions of this summer and last. We could use rain, but hopefully a high pressure system with stable, dry air, and bluebird skies lines up with the peak week to keep it on the viewshed for scenic enjoyment.”
Washington County Watershed forester Bob Schwartz reports some leaves are already changing in in Washington County.
“Among them is our native staghorn sumac. One of the woods’ edge thicket species often pushed out by invasive shrubs, its vibrant scarlet is one of my personal harbingers of autumn,” Schwartz writes.
Not to be outdone, asters and goldenrods are truly belles of the fall ball. These species groups are highly important for pollinators working to provision their eggs for winter and come in all shapes and sizes. The purple of New England Aster strikingly complements the golden hues from their frequent cohabitating goldenrods, directing more pollinators to each other. From the aptly named tall goldenrod to the more diminutive gray goldenrod, across Maryland, there are asters and goldenrods for all residential landscape situations and forests alike. — Forester Bob Schwartz.
The image compilation on the left shows the change in fall colors between Sept. 9 and Sept. 16. On the right, the comparison demonstrates how much earlier leaves are changing this year, compared to 2020 and 2021. (MD DNR)
