A significant number of trees and shrubs have been sporting fall foliage in recent weeks in the fields and gardens of the Holden Arboretum. Tupelo, red maple, Manchurian ash, silky dogwood, highbush blueberry, and Virginia sweetspire have been showing fall colors early this year. Fall color has not begun at the Cleveland Botanical Garden as the nighttime temperatures there are higher given its proximity to Lake Erie and the urban heat island effect.

We experienced an early spring this year at Holden Forests & Gardens, and as usual the emergence of leaves follows a set sequence that rarely varies. In fall, the sequence of fall color and leaf drop is not so predictable. If a tree is stressed then it is more likely to color earlier. The trees and shrubs pictured here were likely all under a bit of drought stress that combined with temperatures dropping into the 40’s overnight resulted in an unusually early start to our fall foliage season.

On the northwest side Ponderosa Pine Grove is a small tree that exhibits purplish-red and red foliage into November. Chinese parrotia, Parrotia subaequalis is likely to show those tints for over two months once again this year. Come out and walk around one or more of the ponds to see the colors this fall.