The ongoing drought in Ohio is expected to impact the vibrant fall foliage, with experts warning that trees may not display their usual colors this season.
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Despite recent rainfall, trees in Ohio are still experiencing stress due to insufficient moisture, which could lead to early leaf drop and less colorful displays.
“Some of the other small trees that I helped plant have already dropped their leaves, or the leaf margins are very bronzed and burned up,” said Jim Evans, a horticulture expert from Beavercreek.
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Experts with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources are noticing the same in trees across the state.
“We had changes happening in the south earlier than the north and then kind of patches of fall colors popping up as opposed to whole areas changing at the same time,” David Parrott, fall color forester with ODNR, said.
Evans, who volunteers at Russ Nature Reserve, has observed that some trees are still recovering from the 2019 Memorial Day tornadoes, contributing to the reduced fall colors.
ODNR has reported that the drought has caused sporadic changes in fall colors across the state, rather than the usual uniform transformation.
Recent rainfall in Beavercreek has provided some relief, but experts like Evans emphasize the need for more consistent rain to alleviate the stress on trees.
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