The vivid fall colours in the Cowichan Valley have been on full display this week.
The rich red, yellow and orange colours of the leaves on the area’s trees are more reminiscent of the bright fall foliage in Ontario and Quebec at this time of year than Vancouver Island, where the colours are usually more faded and dull in comparison.
But Bernie Dinter, owner of the Valley’s Dinter Nursery, said spectacular fall colours occur when the right conditions align, as they appear to have this year.
He said the bright colours of leaves tend to intensify in the fall if the trees have been under some stress during the summer months.
“We had a long and dry summer which resulted in a drought, and that may be playing a part in the bright colours this year,” Dinter said.
“Weather patterns, like when the temperatures begin dropping lower than usual at this time of year, sometimes also add to the rich colours, but I don’t think the temperatures have dipped that low yet.”
Dinner said another factor is the nature of the light during the day.
He said that after the rain and dark skies the area experienced last week, the sky has been very bright for a number of days this week causing the colour of the leaves to appear to intensify, particularly with the angle of the sun in the fall sky.
Dinter said the big leaf maple trees seem to have the most vivid colours of all the trees in the area this year, and he encourages people to get outside and enjoy the explosion of colour while they still can.
“I expect the colours will last about another week before the leaves begin to rapidly fall from the trees as winter approaches,” he said.
“But even when the leaves are finally on the ground, they are still useful. They make great compost for gardening.”
robert.barron@cowichanvalleycitizen.com
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