Trying to predict the peak of fall color year to year is a challenge since much depends on the weather and the microclimate around each tree. Fortunately, Georgia’s variety of tree species ensures you can count on a show of fall colors each year.
Visit our Fall Leaf Watch page, the Georgia State Parks website, and the links listed below for Leaf Watch reports, photo galleries, and more.
GFC Leaf Watch Reports
| Title | Description | Document Type |
|---|---|---|
| 10-13-21 Leaf Watch Report | Lowering temperatures and adequate rainfall has led to the beginning of foliage color change in NW GA. | Page on GFC Website |
| 10/7/21 Leaf Watch Report | Cooler nights, sunny days, and adequate rainfall are signaling the beginning of the fall foliage season. Trees are on track to display vivid changes in color over the next four weeks. | Page on GFC Website |
Resources and Publications
| Title | Description | Document Type |
|---|---|---|
| Don’t Move Firewood | Georgia Forestry Commission Forest Health experts say moving firewood has been linked to the spread of destructive, non-native insects and diseases to forest ecosystems. While these pests can’t move far on their own, they can travel hundreds of miles when people move firewood, logs, chips, and mulch. Forest pests can kill our native trees and be very expensive, if not impossible, to control. | |
| Autumn Leaves Flyer | Shorter days and cooler nights start a precise clockwork of physical and chemical interactions within leaf cells bringing forests ablaze with color as they prepare for winter dormancy. In response to certain environmental stimuli, leaf pigments begin to reveal themselves in the leaves of Georgia’s deciduous trees. The amount of pigments in trees depends on the tree species, soil composition, and other environmental components. | |
| NTG Fall Color Supplement | These are generally considered the fall colors during peak season. Habitat, weather, genetics, and other components can give variations to the general. Nature determines fall color, not exact science. | |
| Native Trees of Georgia | Georgia’s forests are home to approximately 250 species of trees. Native Trees of Georgia describes 92 of them. | |
| Fall Coloring Activity Sheet | Learn about why leaves change color in the fall through this coloring activity sheet. | |
| Learn about Fall Foliage | Learn about how leaves change colors in the fall with Chelsea York, our Conservation Education Coordinator. | Video |
Partnering Links
| Title | Description | Document Type |
|---|---|---|
| Explore Georgia | Official Georgia Tourism and Travel Site | External Website |
| Fall Color | Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in Georgia | External Website |
| Brasstown Bald Webcams | Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in Georgia | External Website |
| Leaf Coloring Pages | US Forest Service | External Website |
| The Science of Color in Autumn Leaves | US National Arboretum | External Website |
| Fall Color Pictures | Virginia Tech | External Website |