Fading foliage: Take it or leaf it
Nov. 12—LIMA — Despite the array of hues Mother Nature has provided on trees throughout Allen County, it won't be long before their color-coated branches have nothing to show for it.
However, unseasonably warm temperatures earlier this week prompted the City of Lima to push back its leaf-collecting process until the Monday after Thanksgiving.
Warner Roach, deputy director of Lima's Street Department, said Wednesday "not enough" leaves had fallen to justify the pick-up process.
That means ample foliage remains for anybody still striving to see the forest for the tinted trees.
Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) — in conjunction with Ohio, Find It Here — has distributed weekly updates about which outdoor locations around the Buckeye State are easiest on the eyes.
Color-coordinated scenery has been at a premium since late October. Among the chief variables that affect a leaf's hue patterns are forest species composition, cool temperatures, sunlight and precipitation.
David Parrott, fall color forester for ODNR Division of Forestry, stated via press release the state's assortment of tree species lends itself to an eclectic range of shades from "bold reds to bright yellows."
"Keep an eye out for Ohio Buckeyes," he said.
According to Parrott, fall colors usually end around mid-November, primarily due to frosts, wind and rain "that signal leaf drops or knocks leaves off the trees."
Additional details about the peak-color forecast are available online at www.fallcolor.ohiodnr.gov.
What's more, the following website lists updates and recommendations for scenic excursions:
ohiodnr.gov/wps/portal/gov/odnr/go-and-do/see-the-sights/fall-color
Reach James Luksic at 567-242-0399
