LITTLE ROCK-
With nearly 200 species of hardwood trees, Arkansas has one of the longest fall foliage seasons in the United States, and the reds, oranges and yellows of autumn are just a few weeks away.
The Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism was to begin posting its weekly fall color updates on its Web site Sept. 28, five days after the first day of autumn and just before leaves begin to turn in the Ozarks and northwest Arkansas, said Eddie Fuggat, the department’s assistant research manager.
The reports can be found at by clicking on “Fall Color in Arkansas.”
Normally, the peak color occurs two or three weeks after color changes begin, Fuggat said. The Ozarks typically peak in early to mid-October, with the other two regions–central-western and southern-eastern–peaking from late October through mid-November.
“Places like Vermont and New Hampshire have a brilliant fall color season, but they only have three or four species that change,” Fuggat said. “In Arkansas, with close to 200 species, you have a longer foliage season. You can see some color from right now to Thanksgiving.”
Though the state has suffered through a drought, the weather in September through mid-October is the most critical time for the fall colors, Fuggat said. The trees need warm sunny days and cool crisp nights along with adequate moisture to produce the rich hues, he said.
Fuggat said the most attractive trees in the state tend to be various species of maples and oaks, though hickory trees, which turn yellow, are also among the best color producers.
Some trees, however, change foliage earlier as the days begin to shorten, Fuggat said. Blackgums, sassafrass, Virginia creeper and poison ivy, oak and sumac are all beginning to turn now, he said.
The fall foliage reports will appear on the Web site after 4 p.m. each Thursday. The Web site also has suggested scenic routes for viewing the foliage.
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