Diamond State poised for a brilliant fall foliage season

Days have been growing shorter, cuing leaves to shed their green chlorophyll to reveal the colors hidden beneath. 

With the summer’s abundant rainfall, the Diamond State has the potential to put on a brilliant fall foliage display this year, state park and forest service experts agree, because trees have been largely spared from the state's frequent drought conditions.

Between Jan. 1 and Oct. 4, Wilmington had 35.29 inches of precipitation – 1.69 inches above normal, said meteorologist Valerie Meola of the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, N.J. Last year, Wilmington's rainfall was 2.86 inches below normal (30.74 inches).

Red maples, red oaks and black gum provide much of the red and purple foliage that are part of Delaware's autumn display – although the oaks, which turn later, can be brownish, state officials said. Silver maples and hickories provide much of the yellows, while sweetgum can range from amber to purple.

Mid to late October is generally peak fall foliage season in Delaware, state officials said.

Fall foliage in Delaware has been a little weaker the last few years, and it does relate to summer drought conditions, said Angel Burns, White Clay Creek State Park Nature Center manager. Severe droughts cause trees to shed their leaves earlier than usual, and volume does matter when it comes to fall foliage.

“If they hold onto the leaves long enough for the chlorophyll to fade back, that’s when we get all the beautiful fall foliage,” she said.

Whereas abundant rain during the summer should have helped trees, now less is more, experts said.

“Rainy days could mute the colors," said Delaware Forest Service Urban Reforest Coordinator Henry Poole, based at Blackbird State Forest north of Smyrna. "Once the trees start turning colors, a couple overcast days could adversely affect colors once the chlorophyll is drawn out."

Warm, sunny days and cool, crisp nights form a potent combination that brings out the color, Poole said.

“We’re just now getting to where we have those cool nights,” he added. “We won’t see the colors until the next couple of weeks.”

Ray Bivens, chief of programming at Delaware State Parks in Dover, said the state was hit last month by a tropical depression that hurt the Diamond State somewhat, driving some of the leaves off the trees quicker than usual. Still, things are shaping up to be a nice season, he said.

Trap Pond, Brandywine Creek and White Clay Creek state parks are among the spots that should offer some of the most spectacular autumn shows, he said.

Parks along the beaches tend to be dominated by evergreens. But Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes has plenty of red maples and sassafras to put on a brilliant display of red and gold, respectively, given this season’s optimal conditions, said Cape Henlopen State Park interpretive manager Richard Julian.

“With all the rain we’ve had, this is hopefully the best chance we’ve had in a few years.”