This year will be an interesting leaf-peeping season. We live in a green and lush forest that is now showing vibrant signs of fall.  But the dead, dying or diseased trees have been catching my eye on my daily drives and outings.  

As the chlorophyll production slows to a halt,  there are sure to be some nice colors, but more grey patches will be in the mix. 

First, we have the all-too-noticeable dead ash trees that scatter our area thanks to the emerald ash borer.  The emerald ash borer is a beetle that uses ash trees as its host plant for reproduction. The beetle larva feeds so heavily on the tree that the latter loses its ability to transport water and nutrients from the ground up.  

Many loggers and landowners were privy to this inevitable process as of a decade ago. They chose to log or harvest ash trees on select properties before the ash tree became so dead it could only be used for firewood, if at all. The standing dead ash can become “punky,” or spongy, as it rots, leaving the wood nearly useless. 

Secondly, we are witnessing a large outbreak of beech leaf disease, caused by a foliar nematode, a type of microscopic roundworm. This worm feeds inside the leaf buds before the leaves fully develop. Once they bloom, the leaves will have noticeable black and brown striping, and will eventually become brown and curled. 

The tree then becomes thinned out and unable to photosynthesize and dies. Saplings will die within a year or two, while larger 

beech trees will take five to 10 years to fully die.  

The beech leaves will surely lack their vibrant colors more and more as this disease progresses. It has been found throughout the entire state of Pennsylvania and in our surrounding counties in New York State. 

Thirdly, I have noticed many silver maples this year with tar spots on their leaves. While these tar spots are not dangerous to the overall health of the tree, they will affect some color variations throughout the change of the fall season. These maples will still change and have fall colors, but mixed in, there will surely be some withered black- and brown-spotted leaves taking away from the visual pleasure this fall. 

Enough of the doom and gloom; let’s plan a leaf-peeping outing.  I encourage you to pick a local hiking trail or known elevated viewpoint to visit this fall.  

While many hiking trails lack good summit viewpoints in our area, there are some.  As mentioned in previous columns, the Bouchoux Trail to Jensen’s Ledges is one of the better foliage viewing points in our local area. 

A fall river trip or lake canoe trip is a great way to catch different views of foliage on the hillsides. 

Knotweed gets a bad rap around here, and for good reason. But as far as invasive species go, it is quite beautiful, especially when it turns yellow in the fall. 

The great big leaves of the sycamore tree are some of my favorites during the fall season. If walking in the woods is not for you, or you cannot get on the river, the Hawks Nest along Route 97 near Sparrowbush, NY, is an easy river overlook with stunning views. 

It is fun to go to the same spot a few times over the fall season and take photographs from the same location and angle, then compare the color variations. You can then make a photo collage or frame of your personal photos and gift them to family members for the holidays.  Everyone appreciates a homemade gift.