- With red, orange, and yellow visible in trees across Tallahassee, neighbors have noticed the vibrancy.
- A local garden expert with Tallahassee Nurseries says the colors are brighter this year.
- Watch the video to hear why this happens:
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Red, yellow, and orange.
That's what neighbors across Tallahassee and beyond are seeing in their backyards.
The last week of fall is here and neighbors are still enjoying the vibrant colors of the season.
I'm taking a look at why some say the leaves are a bit brighter this year.
When you think of changing leaves, you may think of places a bit north of the Big Bend and South Georgia.
But…. "Things have just lined up perfectly this year for the best fall color I can remember in Tallahassee."
That's Jonathan Burns, the outdoor manager at Tallahassee Nurseries.
He said neighbors have noticed the array.
"People have been talking about it all over the place," Burns said. "Even folks who aren't gardeners have noticed the brilliant fall color even just driving on the side of the road."
He tells me plants like Japanese maples, gingkos, black cherry, and even sweetgum are changing shades.
He said the brightness of that color varies year to year.
"The intensity is determined by temperature, soil moisture, how sunny it is, how warm during the day and cool at night," Burns said.
Experts at the US Forest Service say chlorophyll, the chemical responsible for keeping plants green, slows production in cooler weather and on shorter days.
"Every year is different when it comes to fall color and that's because the weather has a really big impact on it," Burns said.
To see just how this season compared to years past, I turned to Chief Meteorologist Casanova Nurse.
"The biggest change we have had this year was that long stretch of above-average temperatures in October and November," Nurse said.
Despite that, he said we had a stretch of cooler snaps.
"We've had Tallahassee International getting to freezing or below six times," Nurse said. "At this point last year, it was just three times."
While Burns said those leaves will really start coming down next week, he said like many others, he's enjoying them while they last.
"This year I've seen it on more plants than ever so it feels like a reward for all of your hard gardening work," Burns said.
Burns said to not throw away your fall leaves. He said they enrich your soil and can be a great way to enhance your garden.
