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Calling all leaf peepers: Peak foliage is coming!

Here’s where you can see the vibrant colors and when it’s is the best time to go

Yellow xanthophylls and orange carotenoids are both always present in the leaf and help chlorophyll capture light energy, but their colors are hidden by the green chlorophyll for most of the growing season. (Thomas Reiner/CNN iReport)

Orlando – Break out the pumpkin decor and cinnamon brooms, if you haven’t done so already. Autumn arrives this Saturday, Sept. 23 officially at 2:50 a.m.

While home decor across the nation changes, Mother Nature changes the decor too.

Peak foliage brings some of the most vibrant colors of the year to our landscape. The hint of fall in the air sending flocks of “leaf peepers” in search for the prettiest fall foliage views for their weekend getaways.

Be-leaf it or not (sorry for the pun, but I had to), leaves have already started changing.

Why leaves change color

Chlorophyll is responsible for giving foliage its green color. As days get shorter, changes start taking place in deciduous plants and trees. Less light means less nutrients for the plant. Trees react to this change by breaking down chlorophyll, reducing the amount of green exposing the yellows, oranges and vibrant reds associated with the fall season.

. As days get shorter, changes start taking place in deciduous plants and trees. Less light means less nutrients for the plant. Trees react to this change by breaking down chlorophyll, reducing the amount of green exposing the yellows, oranges and vibrant reds associated with the fall season. (WKMG)

Once winter arrives, most of the leaves are brown as a result of all the nutrients in the leaves being reabsorbed by the tree.

Weather makes a difference

Weather does make or break the amount of vivid color seen during fall. The more rain that falls during summer, combined with the slightly cooler and drier days of fall, results in the brightest colors.

If drought is present, trees will drop leaves to prep for the winter shutdown before the full color is reached in the leaf. Freezing or frost conditions during the longer nights can also cause this process to be stopped, leading to less color and a lot more brown.

Location, location, location!

From late October through mid-November, the more north you go, the more fall colors you get. We’ve listed the dates to see the stunning foliage in different parts of the county.

Late September the foliage begins to change in the northern-tier states out West and in the Midwest. By the first week of October, most of the leaves will be past their prime time colors.

October leaf peepers should plan to visit any New England state as well as the Pacific Northwest around the 11th. If the Blue Ridge Mountains are calling your name, mid October is the best time to go.

The color on the map corresponds to the color of the leaf in the legend which tells you the best month to catch the vibrant colors of fall. (WKMG)

Florida has fall colors too!

We get it, Florida doesn’t rank first when people think about destination getaways to see the explosion of vibrant fall colors in the trees. While those bragging rights go to states north of us, during fall, there are places in the Sunshine State where the red maples live up to their name.

Sure, it happens later in the season after other states have passed peak foliage, but it’s worth the wait. Here’s the location breakdown:

The Panhandle is the best place to start. About an hour west of Tallahassee and north of Bristol sits Torreya State Park, where the stunning colors of fall can be seen on the southernmost section of the Appalachian mountain range.

Torreya State Park is about an hour west of Tallahassee and roughly 13 miles north of Bristol in northwest Florida. (Florida State Parks)

Gainesville is also a great spot to see the bright colors of the Florida maple, sweetgum, persimmon and sugarberry trees.

Stunning fall foliage even happens right here in Central Florida.

Hint of fall in Winter Garden, Florida (WKMG)

Just head to Wekiwa State Park in Apopka to see the yellows and oranges among the cypress and maple trees that grow between the popular palms we all know and love.

Here’s to a great fall. Enjoy!


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