You could have a mutitude of issues. Did you have drought last year? You won't really see the impact until later.

If it goes droughty and then wet you get root rots.

On average we typically get 12" from July to Sept. We've had 3.5", so down 8.5" in 90 days. But we had a very wet spring which was set with one of the hottest and driest summers ever the summer before.

Look for plenty of strange things to occur, including massive die back.

My Lindens, which typically turn a nice yellow are turning brown and dropping leaves. Almost 50% defolicated already.

Sugar maples are extremely stressed here. This is taken from a week ago and it was already at an unimpressive peak.

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A. saccharums are turning early here, too, but the color seems good so far for most of them.

The Blackgums (or Tupelo if you prefer) are nice so far, some red starting to show.

Some 'Legacy' (I'm 75% sure but they might be 'Commemoration') Sugar Maples in a shopping center in Clarksville, MD just yesterday:

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These trees are pretty healthy looking, although probably *slightly* stressed just by virtue of being parking lot island trees. Some more obviously stressed trees have more color than this.

Its not *that* early for Sugar Maples in New Jersey. It probably just seems early considering how warm the last few years have been. The last two months have actually been (wait for it...) BELOW NORMAL for a change.

i agree.. you are in FALL denial on some level ..

you just arent ready for it ...

there is no NORMAL ... just too many variables to define a normal situation ....

ken

Driving to work today, I saw a very large (for it's species) Nyssa sylvatica in deep crimson. It's the only Nyssa around it, it's growing with a bunch of Quercus alba and a few small sweetgums right against the highway (the Liquidambars are showing hints of purple-red on the outer leaves but nothing like the Nyssa).

Hair, your sugar maples down there in Maryland are at about the same level of color as the ones here in Columbus.

The average low for September (since lows are supposed to have more to do with fall color change than highs) at Trenton in central NJ was the coldest in 22 years. So, no wonder tree color seems early.

I've seen some of my neighbors silver maples getting yellow, one of my Q. Alba white oak turning an ugly yellow with green veins, one of my pin oak getting burgundy-ish on it's lower branch layers, the local Sassafras turning bright orange-salmon. My London plane getting tannish leaves, then spitting them on the lawn. My Nuttalls and 1 Shumard oak look like they will soon be reddish or Burgundy soon, but just are showing it on a few higher leaves. The Q. Alba that turns a sickly yellow was treated to a seaweed powder a few years ago. The tree seems ok in the growing season, but in fall turns ugly yellow with green veins.

A few decades ago, I clearly remember mid-October being near peak around me in terms of leaf coloration. In more recent years, it does seem much later. So much so, that two years ago, the leaves were in full, green leaf in late October. A freak snowstorm on Halloween caused enormous damage to trees and powerlines.ThisSeptember though has been dry. There has been no rain at all in over two weeks under really clear skies. Was cool but today was in the upper 80's. Latest drought monitor does show areas of drought developing on Long Island, Pa., norther Va.. Though this will probably be short-lived.
Seems like a developing Gulf storm and a front should be bringing copious precipitation early next week.

The sumacs on the roadsides are turning a VERY deep scarlet this year, almost purplish.

Also saw some Liquidambars with purple on the upper branches as deep as a Thundercloud plum.

If the recent dryness doesn't cause the leaves to fall too fast, we could be in for an early but very strong peak in color here this year.

Crossing my fingers that we get a nice rain Mon/Tues with the expected clash of tropical moisture from Karen plus the cold front approaching.

Seems some trees are turning early. Sugar maples & basswoods are at peak or past here. Oaks/hickories/tuliptrees are still green tho.

Might have something to do w/the brief, "flash" drought -- Sept was bone dry -- no tropical moisture. It may make drought-intolerent trees lose leaves early.

Some of the Tuliptrees here in drier locations are yellowing on the inner leaves quite a bit. Bottomland specimens not so much.