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WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE LEAVES? WE ARE FINDING OUT. THE LACK OF RAIN COUPLED WITH THE HIGHER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES WILL IMPACT THE COLORS YOU SEE THIS YEAR. THE EFFECT DEPENDS ON THE SPECIES. >> RIGHT NOW YOU’LL START TO SEE SASSAFRAS, WHICH IS A GREAT FALL FOLIAGE COLOR PLANT -IT’S GOT RED, BRIGHT RED LEAVES, BEAUTIFUL BUT, WHAT YOU’LL NOTICE IS THAT WHILE IT’S STARTING TO TURN RED, IT VERY QUICKLY IS TURNING BROWN. ALLISON: THAT IS LINKED TO THE LACK OF WATER. BY NOW, ABOUT TWO INCHES OF RAIN SHOULD HAVE FALLEN THIS MONTH. WE’RE OFF THE MARGIN BY ALMOST A FULL INCH AN A HALF. >> THE LEAVES ARE DYING A LOT QUICKER, AND A LOT OF THINGS ARE EXPEDITED GENERALLY SPEAKING, FOR FALL FOLIAGE. ALLISON: MEANWHILE SOME TREES ACTUALLY HOLD ON TO THEIR LEAVES LONGER. CERTAIN SPECIES ARE ATTUNED TO TEMPERATURE, AND THAT’S THEIR MAIN INDICATOR FOR STARTING TO GO INTO FALL, WELL IT’S STILL PRETTY WARM. THEY THINK IT’S SUMMER. THEY MAY STILL HOLD ON TO THEIR LEAVES UNTIL WE ACTUALLY GET HIT WITH ICE. ALLISON: AT THE END OF THE DAY, TORRES SAYS THE EXTREME WEATHER PATTERNS STRESS THE FLORA, WHICH COULD POSE AS A GREATER PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE WHEN IT COMES TO OTHER BATTLES THE VEGETATION FACES. >> WHEN PLANTS ARE STRESSED, JUST LIKE HUMAN BEINGS, THEY’RE MORE EXPOSED TO DISEASES. THEY HAVE A HIGHER SUSCEPTIBILITY TO CERTAIN PLANT DISEASES. ALLISON: THIS TREE YOU SEE HERE, IS A SUGAR MAPLE. I’M TOLD IT’S NATIVE TO THIS REGION. IF YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT PLANTING ANY TREES ANYTIME SOON, GO FOR THE NATIVE FLORA. ALSO, IF YOU’RE THINKING OF PLANTING, WAIT FOR IT TO GET A LITTLE BIT COOLER, AND WATER WATER WATER. REPORTING FROM THE CIVIC GARDEN CENTER, ALLISON ROGERS WLWT NEWS

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The drought and intense heat are taking a toll on our flora in Greater Cincinnati, and that impacts the leaves changing for fall. "The leaves are dying a lot quicker, and a lot of things are expedited, generally speaking, for fall foliage," said horticulturist Greg Torres. The noticeable impacts we'll see this fall depend on the species of vegetation."Right now, you’ll start to see sassafras, which is a great fall foliage color plant. It’s got red, bright red leaves, beautiful, but what you’ll notice is that while it’s starting to turn red, it very quickly is turning brown," he said.Dying leaves can be blamed on the lack of rain. By now, a little more than 2 inches of rain should have fallen this month; however, we've seen just over half an inch. On top of that, temperatures are forecast to be at an all-time high next week. This is on the heels of an intense mid-September heatwave, leading to a four-day stretch in the 90s."Certain species are attuned to temperature, and that's their main indicator for starting to go into fall. Well, it's still pretty warm. They think it's summer. They may still hold on to their leaves until we actually get hit with ice," Torres said.Torres said his plants at the Civic Garden Center on Reading Road are stressed. "When plants are stressed, just like human beings, they're more exposed to diseases. They have a higher susceptibility to certain plant diseases," he said.Bottom line: If the hot, dry pattern holds, it doesn't look good for seeing picturesque fall foliage. If you want to plant any trees this October or November, Torres suggests waiting until temperatures cool off, and emphasizes the importance of watering the trees. He also suggests planting trees that are native to the area. If you would like any more information on flora and fauna of the area, visit the Civic Garden Center Site for more.