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.

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.

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.

Georgia’s forests are home to approximately 250 species of trees. Native Trees of Georgia describes 92 of them.

Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in Georgia

Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in Georgia

US Forest Service

US National Arboretum

Virginia Tech