Fall Foliage Report for October 24, 2024

Greenbelt Lake, Prince George’s County – Photo by Vincent Chiang

In Western Maryland the foliage season is coming to a close, while trees on the Eastern Shore are hitting a midpoint. Trees in Central Maryland are at peak.

“In Anne Arundel, the sun-splashed yellow hickory leaves are sprinkled through the forest canopy. The red black gum are prominent while sweet gum are reddening up,” says Francis Smith of the Maryland Forest Service.

“In the Hagerstown watershed forest, the sugar maple, sweet birch, and tulip poplar are positively glowing with the fine weather we’ve had,” Forester Bob Schwartz reports. “These less developed areas with more extensive shallow groundwater flow seem to be avoiding the lackluster color predicted due to the drought this summer.”

The pine trees on Assateague Island are evergreen, but Assistant Park Manager Meghan Rhode said fall color makes its presence known, “Whether it is the orange of the monarch butterfly, the bright yellow of the goldenrod or red-brown coats of the Assateague ponies.”

Read more from our foresters and park rangers below.

Western Region

Melissa Nash, Garrett and Allegany Project Manager for Maryland Forest Service, Garrett and Allegany Counties

This will likely be my last report from Garrett County for the year as things continue to wind down and the sun begins to set on our foliage season. The oaks are putting on the final show with golden to burgundy tones. If you’re wanting to see fall foliage in Garrett County – do it soon before it’s gone! With continued warm and dry weather in the forecast I don’t expect the remaining color to last much past the end of October this year.

Savage River Road, photo by Melissa Nash

We are still experiencing severe to extreme drought throughout the county as evidenced by low water levels in many bodies of water. As we continue through fall, fire danger is likely to increase with warm, dry weather in the forecast and dry leaves accumulating on the forest floor. Be mindful of and adhere to state and local burning regulations. Find more information about state outdoor fire regulations on the Maryland Forest Service website.

The sun sets over Deep Creek Lake and on Melissa Nash’s seasonal foliage reports from Garrett County for the 2024 season. Photo by Melissa Nash.

Foliage on Evitts Mountain at Rocky Gap State Park. Photo by Adam Miller, Forester, Western Region

Aaron Cook, Forester for Maryland Forest Service, Washington County

Peak fall color has not been uniform across Washington County this fall. This is not unusual, as elevation, aspect, forest species composition, and other environmental factors all influence this annual change. Some areas of the county are at or will soon be at peak color, these include the ridges in the western part of the county and South Mountain in the north. The lower elevations of these same ridges along the Potomac River are a little further behind, but may be at peak color by this weekend, and our oaks are still just beginning to change color, although they are not known for the vibrant reds and yellows that our other forest trees produce.

The moon over Bear Pond Mountains, photo by Aaron Cook.

At a landscape level, the oaks are usually bronze or brown.  If you get into the forest on a hike, individual oaks can be rather spectacular, albeit a branch at a time with shades of burgundy, purple, red, and bronze.  Oak leaves quickly turn brown, and the leaves tend to hang onto the trees for most of the winter.  This phenomenon is known as marcescence, which is not a fully understood evolutionary trait.  Regardless, these leaves persist as a treat to the eyes and ears on breezy winter days and are often complimented by accompanying shrubs with persistent winter fruit and evergreens.  

Speaking of evergreens, I have noticed that eastern white pine is yellowing in an attempt to join in on the frenzy of fall colors. Our office often receives calls about dying white pines from concerned landowners each fall, but this is a natural occurrence in the fall as old needles are shed by the tree.

Foresters often prescribe the “shelterwood treatment,” which regenerates sun-preferring species under the temporary shelter of an open overstory, to perpetuate oak-dominated forest ecosystems; it can also be employed to regenerate white pine forests.

While oaks are not always associated with magnificent fall colors, they are a keystone species that play a critical role in our ecosystem by providing food and habitat for a wide variety of organisms, without oaks the ecosystem would be significantly impacted. If the weather continues to hold, this should be another fine weekend to get out and enjoy the peak of fall color.

Bob Schwartz, Watershed Forester for Maryland Forest Service in Washington and Frederick counties

We’re certainly at peak color along South Mountain in Washington and Frederick counties, although the Hagerstown Valley lags behind. In the Hagerstown watershed forest, the sugar maple, sweet birch, and tulip poplar are positively glowing with the fine weather we’ve had. These less developed areas with more extensive shallow groundwater flow seem to be avoiding the lackluster color predicted due to the drought this summer.

Sugar Maple and sweet birch and tulip poplar, photo by Bob Schwartz

Hickory and maple trees, photo by Bob Schwartz

Nearby, blue wood aster is in full bloom. This lovely sky-blue aster lives in part-shade and features one of the latest bloom periods, a boon for late-season pollinators provisioning their young for next spring. With its compact form, this is a wonderful aster for both the woods and home landscapes.

Meanwhile, Red Oak is living up to its name, providing flame red hues to the golden tones of the other hardwoods. The oak genus, Quercus, has been shown to support the most insect species, over 500, of any group of trees in Eastern North America. White and red oaks are truly the powerhouses of our forests for everyone: insects, the birds they feed, and larger wildlife, as well, while giving humans quite a show come autumn. From the diminutive Bear Oak to a full-sized White Oak, there is an oak for every situation so you too can bring this piece of nature, and all its associations, home.

Grace Muller, Forester, Frederick City Watershed, Frederick County

This week is showing peak colors all across the mountain, at all elevations! Colors are vibrant and beautiful!

Frederick City Watershed, photo by Grace Muller

Central Region

Melissa Carson, Park Ranger at Patapsco Valley State Park in Baltimore, Howard and Carroll counties

Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area, along with the Hollofield and McKeldin areas of Patapsco Valley State Park, have hit peak foliage.

A campsite in Patapsco Valley State Park, photo by Melissa Carson

Lesley Leader, Park Ranger, Fair Hill Natural Resource Management Area and Bohemia River State Park, Cecil County

Cecil County is at peak right now, with vibrant yellows, oranges and deep reds standing out against bright blue skies.

The Willis House at Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area. Photo by Rick Ewing.

Southern Region

Francis Smith, Maryland Forest Service, Anne Arundel County

In Anne Arundel, the sun-splashed yellow hickory leaves are sprinkled through the forest canopy. The red black gum are prominent while sweet gum are reddening up. Below the multi color mosaic of an overstory, the dogwoods are getting an even deeper wine red.

More oranges and red this week compared to last week hint that Southern Maryland is nearing peak foliage. Photo by Elizabeth Klein, Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Eastern Region

Joanna Trojanowski, Park Ranger at Harriet Tubman State Park and Visitor Center

The leaves are at a midpoint at Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park.

Morning dew on groundsel tree flowers. Photo by Joanna Trojanowski.

Meghan Rhode, Assistant Park Manager for Assateague State Park

While the lower Eastern Shore has been seeing a change in tree color for at least a week or two now, the trees that surround Assateague Island just recently got the message to start the show. The corridor that welcomes you to the island is displaying a variety of bold fall colors! Assateague State Park consists mainly of loblolly pines and low shrubs that do not give that fall feeling but we notice fall in other ways, whether it is the orange of the monarch butterfly, the bright yellow of the goldenrod or red-brown coats of the Assateague horses. The island has a unique and beautiful way of welcoming in the cooler temperatures and shorter days of fall!

At left, Route 611 near the entrance to Assateague State Park in Berlin. At right, an Assateague pony. Photos by Meghan Rhode.

Beautiful yellows and oranges are found in Pocomoke River State Park. Photo by Ranger Ashley Brown.

Recreational Spotlight

• ZOOBOO at the Maryland Zoo – Oct. 25-27, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Celebrate the fall season with the annual Zoo BOO! festival! 
• Free Fall Baltimore – Through Oct. 31
• Every October, Free Fall Baltimore immerses the city in arts and culture with an entire month of free events, ranging from studio tours and concerts to dance performances and workshops.
• OysterFest, St. Michaels – Oct. 26, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  The Bay’s favorite bivalve takes the spotlight at the Chesapeake Bay Marine Museum’s OysterFest. This fall-favorite festival invites you to enjoy oysters served a variety of ways, along with other local fare, craft beer, and spirits, plus fun for the whole family with live music, an oyster stew competition, a full schedule of demonstrations and presentations, children’s activities, and more.
• Sultana Downrigging Festival,  Chestertown – November 1-3
  What do you get when you combine the largest annual gathering of Tall Ships in North America, a top-notch Bluegrass festival, and one of the coolest small towns in America? The Sultana Education Foundation’s Downrigging Weekend. Featuring three days of music, sailing, ship tours, lectures, exhibits, and family activities, there is no festival like it anywhere. And the best part . . . all proceeds from festival benefit the Foundation’s environmental literacy programs and the other educational nonprofits participating in the festival.

Celestial Report

Stars show through the trees as Black Walnut Point Natural Resources Management Area in Talbot County. Photo by Anthony Burrows

We could have a Halloween Comet. It all depends on if it breaks up before it gets to us. Early on Oct. 24 if you looked east just after sunrise you may have seen it as it zipped by Earth. C/2024 S1 has to survive its trip around the sun. It will be 900,000 miles away at its closest, as it slingshots back towards Earth. If it stays intact, it will reappear in the western night sky around Halloween and depending on what’s left, you could see it into December. 

On October 25, look east for the Andromeda Galaxy. You should still be able to see it without a telescope on Friday night, even though it’s 2.5 million light years away. To give you an idea how far that is, it would take 12 million years to travel one light year traveling at 56 mph. The Andromeda Galaxy is our galactic neighbor. It is 200,000 light years in diameter and has roughly one trillion stars. By comparison, our own Milky Way is half that size. 

The moon is waning, so stargazing will be better the rest of the month. Enjoy the warmer evenings while you can.