Hemlocks Fall Color leaf report as of 10/22/12 

This year’s fall color leaf change is around 50% right now.

Said another way, around half of the leaves are turning colors, but most leaves are still on the trees.

Remember we also have a lot conifers around here, like Hemlocks (also called spruce locally)  and mostly Virginia Pines, that stay green year round. Now there are also some Yellow Pines and many White Pines around, too. Many Virginia Pines tend to grow around the cliff edges along with Chestnut Oaks, too. And lord knows, this place has a lot of cliff edges, being at the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau.

My guess is that this year’s color change will be average to below average, with lots of brown colored leaves mixed in with all the prettier yellow and red colors.

For those trying to plan a best time to visit to see the leaves around here, my guess is around November 1st around here, maybe a week earlier. When the leaves fall, it generally happens in a few days and is weather related, of course.

Of course I live here, so it is always a pretty time for me, whenever it happens.