Fall foliage in Delaware: When leaf color will peak, what's up with leaf drop this fall

Leaves have begun falling in Delaware, but peak fall foliage is still a couple of weeks away.

Each year, we say goodbye to summer and welcome the chilly temperatures of autumn with bonfires, pumpkin picking, and, of course, leaves changing colors.

Delaware entered the patchy phase of fall foliage on Monday, Oct. 9, when trees are still sporting green leaves but slowly begin to change to hues of fall, according to Smoky Mountains’ 2023 Fall Foliage Map & Nationwide Peak Leaf Forecast.

From there, their map shows a transition to near peak status by Oct. 16 and peak status by Oct. 23. Leaves will be past peak by Oct. 30.

According to Susan Barton, professor of plant and soil sciences at the University of Delaware, these leaf drop predictions are supported by recent weather, but fall foliage is more of the “wait and see” type and could still stand to change in the coming weeks.

“That sounds accurate, but this is not really a science. Nobody knows exactly how it’s gonna go, so I think it’s kind of a funny thing that people want to know,” said Barton said of foliage predictions like that map. “Why don’t you wait and see what happens?”

Fall leaf color change in Delaware

While leaves begin turning at different points every year, they mostly change in late September and October, with a peak in late October, an event dependent on sun exposure during the day and cool temperatures at night.  

According to Barton, leaf colors typically continue to change until early November locally, but the sunnier the days and the cooler the nights, the better leaf color will be and the longer they will last before falling.

Unlike last fall in Delaware, when the state experienced a premature leaf drop due to a summer drought, this year is “basically a normal year,” said Barton, who adds that Delaware’s summer forecast of routine rains made way for the slowly falling leaves and changing leaf colors currently seen throughout the state.

Although most of this year’s leaf drop patterns have already been set based on prior weather patterns, an unexpected spell of rain and gloomy days could cause leaves to fade to brown and flutter to the ground, making for a quicker descent into mushy leaf piles not on the eyes or Instagram.

“The cool sunny days are what makes good fall color, so if we have a ton of rain, we won’t get really great fall color. If we don’t have enough sun, we won’t have great fall color,” said Barton.

Why leaves change colors

The reason leaves change from green to various rainbow shades is because the chlorophyll within each leaf begins to go away.

When the chlorophyll is removed from the leaf, the amount of sun, wind and rain can bring out other colors within the leaf, Barton previously told Delaware Online/The News Journal.

This is also why different tree species may experience leaf drop in different phases or have leaves turn colors differently from others in the area.

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What leaf colors are dominant in Delaware

In Newark, gingko trees are a common sight. They are native to China and are the last living species in a lineage that traces back over 290 million years ago.

Sweet gum trees are native species all around the state, and you might know them for the spiky gum balls they’re known to drop everywhere.

Sweet gums also have star-shaped foliage that turns yellow, purple and red once fall hits as opposed to a single color like most trees. This species can be found around the Newark Free Library.

Barton also recommends local parks or highways as great places to see a variety of changing leaf colors.

Some of her favorite areas include driving on I-95 between Newark and Wilmington, walking through White Clay Creek near the University of Delaware campus and driving on Route 1 between Smyrna and Dover.

Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys'tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com. 

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This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: When to see changing leaves in Delaware, peak fall foliage predictions