Delmarva’s Fall Foliage 2025 Outlook

Fall is right around the corner, and soon enough the leaves be exposed of their brilliant, varied colors! Looking ahead to this season, Delmarva is projected to be in better shape for color vibrancy this season compared to last season. 

According to Explore Fall, Delmarva’s trees and foliage is forecast to be under low stress for the 2025 season. This is an improvement from last year, where some stress was forecast. And indeed, drought conditions through the season lead to a foliage display that was overall quite muted. Some vegetation and leaves even turned crispy. High stressed trees can lead to unpredictable and chaotic color change, which can include but are not limited to muted color and premature leaf drop. Stressed trees have to use less resources to flourish. Thus, chlorophyll production is reduced which can result in that premature leaf drop.

At the beginning of September last year, onset drought conditions plagued nearly all of Delmarva. This time around, onset conditions are not as widespread. Additionally, the rainfall this week will continue to alleviate any growing concern for a drought. Also, having a healthy water table early on in the season is important for vibrant color later on!

Now, what happens with the weather going forward will ultimately determine just how brilliant the foliage can get this season. The loss of daylight is the primary cause for color change. Weather then provides a lesser though still meaningful impact on this process. Provided there is no drought stress, the most vibrant fall colors come from weather featuring warm and sunny days along with cool and crisp nights. The lack of any mid-season wind and rainstorms also helps boost the longevity of the fall color.

Climatologically, our average time period for peak fall color is right around early November. Though keep in mind the exact timing varies from year to year depending on weather conditions.

We’ll be sure to monitor the progression of the fall colors as we progress through the season. If we can leave September with an appreciable amount of rain in the ground, along with sunny, warm days and cool, crisp night through October, there is little reason to believe this season will not be more vibrant than the last!