Dry summer spells bad fall foliage in much of region

     Leaves on this tree in Princeton turned brown and fell off. (Alan Tu/WHYY)

    Leaves on this tree in Princeton turned brown and fell off. (Alan Tu/WHYY)

    It’s not just your lawn that’s being affected by the hot, dry weather. It might also spoil the fall foliage season.

     Leaves on some trees in the region have already turned brown.

    Rutgers professor and agriculture agent Bill Hlubik says that will put a damper on fall colors.

    “They’re of course not going to change color at this point if they’re already brown because the chlorophyll and the other pigments have more than likely died out at that point and they’re probably going to drop off of those plants,” he said. “The trees should recover next year as long as they get some rain in the not too distant future.”

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    To see the most brilliant foliage, you might have to travel to other parts of the Northeast where there’s been more rain. But even there, Hlubik says, if the hot dry weather persists, the leaves might not put on their annual show as long as usual.

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