St. Louis isn’t experiencing the bright yellow, orange and red fall colors that it has in years past. Instead, green leaves are turning straight to brown.
“I'm always hopeful because things can change, but given the fact that we've just come off a heat wave [and] we have not gotten a significant amount of rain … the leaves may drop sooner, and the coloration may not be as vibrant,” said horticulturist and botanist Daria McKelvey of the Missouri Botanical Garden.
St. Louis and parts of St. Charles, Franklin, Gasconade and St. Louis counties are in a severe drought, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. The state has been under a drought alert for two weeks, with 5.1 million residents affected — and rain isn’t forecast in the St. Louis area for the foreseeable future.
Last year, St. Louis experienced drought and its second-warmest year on record. Repeated heat waves and instances of drought can have long-term effects on trees, McKelvey said.
“I'm a little concerned,” she said. “I have seen a couple of trees leafing out. A tulip tree dropped its leaves, and I've seen new leaves coming out. It's using up the energy already stored from this year ahead of time, which is not good.”
As temperatures drop in the coming weeks, there may still be a chance for some fall coloration. Colder nights and less daylight cause chlorophyll to break down in the leaves, which initiates the color-changing process.
Cooler weather will also aid in the planting of new trees and shrubs, which will provide bright pops of color in the spring.
“This is a really good time to start getting ready for that,” McKelvey said.
Daria McKelvey and Eliza Pessereau of University of Missouri Extension joined St. Louis on the Air to discuss tips for harvesting fall vegetables, autumn planting, and how to prepare your garden for winter and next spring.
Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or click the play button below.
Related Event
What: Nature's Lumps and Bumps: The Mysterious World of Plant Galls
When: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22
Where: Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63110
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Darrious Varner is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
