Read more on Maryland Department of Natural Resources website
Welcome to the Maryland Fall Foliage Report for 2024. Fall officially begins on Sunday, September 22 at 8:44 a.m.
Many of Maryland’s trees are changing color earlier than usual this year due to drought. Marylanders can also expect to see more yellow and gold tones, and fewer reds and purples.
Forester Melissa Nash in Garrett County says leaves are two weeks ahead of schedule in Maryland’s westernmost jurisdiction, which is experiencing extreme drought.
“While we will still have a fall color display, I anticipate it may peak earlier than normal and we will see more muted colors and more yellow to golden tones as opposed to vibrant colors, again due to lack of moisture,” Nash says.
Yellow and gold leaf colors are produced by carotenoid pigments, which are ever-present in the leaves and are therefore less dependent on weather conditions.
The most brilliant leaf displays follow a period of warm, sunny days and cool nights. Leaves produce an abundance of sugars during the sunny days. The cooler nights and gradual narrowing of leaf veins in the fall mean that a majority of the sugars produced are trapped in the leaf. A wealth of sugar and light in the leaf leads to the production of vivid anthocyanin pigments, which produce red, purple, and crimson colors.
Those looking for color shouldn’t lament – Maryland is home to some vibrant native flowers that are blooming this time of year. Forester Bob Schwartz describes Maryland’s asters and goldenrods as “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,” Schwartz says. “The purple of New England aster strikingly complements the golden hues from their frequent cohabitating goldenrods, directing more pollinators to each other.”
As always, we want to see what the fall colors look like in your area. Please submit reports and images through our submission form. We’ll try to include them in our foliage reports. We’ll be publishing field reports from our regional experts each week so you can plan for some great fall outings!
Forester Melissa Nash, Garrett County:
Starting to see a good bit of change early in the season. We are about 2 weeks ahead of normal in some parts of the county.
We are definitely seeing changes earlier this year due to the drought. Most of Garrett County has been in severe to extreme drought since July and there is little rain in the long range forecast. We are seeing trees dropping leaves earlier as well. This is a result of stress due to lack of water.
Also due to the dry conditions I would recommend against burning leaves or other yard debris and brush until we receive significant rainfall. A permit is required from the respective county Forest Service office for daytime open air burning (7 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
Most county health departments in Maryland also require a permit from their office for open air burning, though specific requirements and conditions may vary from county to county. More on the Forest Service open air burning regulations is available on the Maryland Department of Natural Resources website.
