Summer Rain should bring Extended Fall Colors

The wet summer should bring extended fall color, that’s according to Clemson University forest ecologist Donald Hagan. Record-breaking summer rains across the Southeast likely will bring an extended leaf-looking season to the Southern Appalachians. The wet soil means that trees should hold their leaves longer and fall colors will unfold more slowly. During scouting and laboratory trips with Clemson University forestry and natural resources students, Hagan observed that such tree species as blackgum, flowering dogwood and sourwood are beginning to turn. Hagan said that leaf-lookers should observe the weather closely for the next few weeks. Crisp nights followed by clear, mild days will cause leaf color change to accelerate.