UMD Prof. Says Leaves Changed Colors Early This Fall

DULUTH, Minn.– Leaves have been changing their colors around the northland but when did the color change start?

One UMD biologist says it began earlier than normal.

Experts have seen the trees on campus they keep track of, like sugar maples, have experienced their color changes two weeks earlier compared to an average fall. They say it has been happening earlier this year likely due to dry conditions in the area.

The cold temperatures and other conditions cause stress on the plants that changes its leaves to red and orange colors for protection.

“We are generally seeing earlier seasons but there’s a lot of variabilities so it just depends on the individual summer,” said Jessica Savage, an Assistant Professor of Biology at UMD. “The plants [are] very much responding to conditions right then and there.”

Experts also say climate differences caused by Lake Superior can create a two week difference in the color change around the Twin Ports.