Fall Color Reports

Starved Rock Area

• There is no significant amount of change in tree color from last week. Everything is still very green.
• Occasionally cottonwoods and black walnuts have some yellowing foliage due to leaf infections common for them this time of year. The same with redbuds.
• Nuts on many of the hardwood trees like oak and hickory are near or at maturity and can easily be seen and are starting to fall. 
• All the vibrant color is in roadside flowers and shrubs and vines. You will see nice showings of yellow and white flowers and emerging reds of poison ivy and Virginia creeper.
• Some seed heads on elderberry are a deep blackish purple. Wild grape clusters are ripe and purple now too.

Wilmington

• Sassafras continues its slow transition into fall colors, with a smattering of leaves on sporadic trees turning yellow to red as harbingers to fall.
• Black cherry are beginning to drop some early leaves with no appreciable color beyond a slight yellowing.
• Walnut, a tree often associated with early senescence is dropping periodic yellow leaves.
• Hackberry, cottonwood, aspen, walnut, catalpa, paw paw, hazelnut and fringetree are becoming more pale as the days shorten.
• Mixed flocks of birds have begun their groupings in preparation to migration south, while hummingbirds remain stalwart in their presence for now.
• Mammals dedicated to stockpiling mast for the winter are in overdrive, packing away tree nuts and eating what edible berries remain.

NW Illinois

• Fall color in the trees within the last week hasn't changed to much in NW Illinois.
• The urban red maples are starting to change.
• Walnut, cottonwood and hackberry trees are continuing to change to yellow to light yellow with some of cottonwood leaves falling.
• The roadside dogwood/sumac are starting to change to their reddish leaves making the their fruit easier to see.
• The urban crabapple tree fruits of dark red berries more easily seen.
• Peak fall leaf color estimated to be mid to late October depending on the coming drought conditions in NW Illinois.

Rock Island County

• This past week the nights have got a little cooler. Combined with little rainfall, this usually prompts color change. 
• All the wildflowers are making their typical last push by putting out the last batch of pretty blooms, from roses to sedum or evening primrose on the prairie.
• The crops are continuing to dry out and turn yellow to brown, this fact has cut down on our humidity leading to more fall-like temperatures.
• As for the timber itself, it is still mostly the early species with yellow being the primary color stemming from the walnut, hackberry, elm, cottonwood and maybe even some silver maple.
• There is some red starting to show in the ditch sumac, some red maples especially the ones that have a southwest aspect.
• The season is shifting and we will continue to see more colors in the upcoming weeks.

Second week of October

District 5: Hancock, Henderson, Warren, McDonough, Fulton, Peoria and Tazewell Counties:

• There is no significant change in foliage from last weeks report.
• Only addition is Hackberry showing some signs of coloring and wilt, but this is more likely due to dry, drought like conditions within the region.
• 90% of tree foliage including Oaks and Hickory species still have dark green foliage.
• Species such as Cottonwood and Black Walnut are beginning to yellow and defoliate. 
• Sassafras, Sumac and Dogwood species are showing some signs of red colors beginning to appear.

Olney/Richland Counties / Central Eastern IL

• Tree colors are only slightly tipping into yellow on Catalpa trees.
• Dry Conditions have mild affects on the edges of various maple and oak trees.
• Otherwise, foliage is retaining its summer green hue. 

Adams, Pike, Calhoun, Brown, Scott, Greene, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, and St Clair Counties:

• Buckeye, Sycamore, and Cottonwood are starting to just show hints of orange / yellow.
• A few hybrid Red Maple in urban settings are starting to show hints of red, otherwise, it is green throughout the region.
  

Late October

Jackson/Union County Area 

• There are signs of early fall foliage in certain tree species.
• Mainly yellow in tulip poplars, sycamores and walnuts with red coloration starting to show up in sassafras and persimmons.
• Some red maples showing signs of turning as well but mostly in urban situations.
• There has been a lack of noticeable precipitation in the area so that may have led to some of the early fall colors.
• With the cooler temperatures, it is well worth a hike, drive or just being outdoors!

Eastern Shawnee Hills Area

• While most trees remain green, the dry weather is causing a handful of trees to start changing colors early.
• Many tulip poplar, sycamore and elm have more yellow and brown than green leaves.
• If you can find black gum and sassafras, they are on their way to bright red and orange!
• In the hills the viewer can clearly notice minor bands of yellow and brown intermixing with the green.

End of October