Autumn in New England

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Autumn in New England
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Autumn in New England begins in late September and ends in late December. It marks the transition from summer to winter and is known for its vibrant colors and picturesque beauty. The autumn color of the trees and flora in New England has been reported to be some of the most brilliant natural color in the United States; as such, it is a popular tourist destination, attracting visitors from across North America and overseas. Travelers flock to Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and parts of Massachusetts to see the colors each fall, a practice known as leaf peeping. [1] [2] Hiking during Autumn has become popular, and several areas offer guided tours. [3]

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The combination of natural rugged landscape and rural, small town villages have made several areas in New England iconic locations for fall color photography. The numerous barns, church buildings, farmhouses, and villages combined with the vibrant seasonal colors makes for iconic photographs. [4]

Natural change

Across most of northern New England by mid-September the days are still warm, but the nights have become cool. This is the time in which deciduous trees begin the process of colorful changes in their foliage. In New England, a large percentage of trees produce a pigment known as an Anthocyanin, which results in brilliant reds and purples commonly seen around this time; a change that is particularly pronounced in the region's sugar maple trees. [5] This gradual process in which the trees change colors starts in far Northern New England in northern Maine and the higher elevations of Vermont and New Hampshire in mid September, reaching central New England areas of southern Vermont, southern New Hampshire, and Massachusetts by early October. By mid October the color peak reaches northern Rhode Island and northern Connecticut.

From southern Connecticut southward into northern New Jersey and points south, the number of sugar maple trees declines rapidly as the climate changes to a more temperate zone and oaks become more dominant, thus there are less bright colors. [4] [6]

The season of autumn is rain and thunder throughout the entire New England region.

The term stick season refers to the period in late fall after the leaves have fallen and before snow has settled on the trees. The term is used often in Vermont, where the season can last for many weeks or months. [7] [8]

Autumn in New England has also become a popular theme in American popular culture, with many fictional stories being set in autumntime New England. [9]

Noah Kahan's 2022 single "Stick Season", the title song from his album of that year, is about autumn in New England. Kahan said that this period is "a time of transition" and "super depressing" as "it just means that winter is coming soon and it creates a lot of anxiety" and "nobody really likes it". [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deciduous</span> Plants that shed leaves seasonally

In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, after flowering; and to the shedding of ripe fruit. The antonym of deciduous in the botanical sense is evergreen.

<i>Acer saccharum</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Sapindaceae

Acer saccharum, the sugar maple, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. It is native to the hardwood forests of eastern Canada and eastern United States. Sugar maple is best known for being the primary source of maple syrup and for its brightly colored fall foliage. It may also be called "rock maple," "sugar tree," "sweet maple," or, particularly in reference to the wood, "hard maple," "birds-eye maple," or "curly maple," the last two being specially figured lumber.

<i>Acer platanoides</i> Species of flowering plant in the soapberry family Sapindaceae

Acer platanoides, commonly known as the Norway maple, is a species of maple native to eastern and central Europe and western Asia, from Spain east to Russia, north to southern Scandinavia and southeast to northern Iran. It was introduced to North America in the mid-1700s as a shade tree. It is a member of the family Sapindaceae.

<i>Acer rubrum</i> Maple tree native in North America

Acer rubrum, the red maple, also known as swamp maple, water maple, or soft maple, is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern and central North America. The U.S. Forest Service recognizes it as the most abundant native tree in eastern North America. The red maple ranges from southeastern Manitoba around the Lake of the Woods on the border with Ontario and Minnesota, east to Newfoundland, south to Florida, and southwest to East Texas. Many of its features, especially its leaves, are quite variable in form. At maturity, it often attains a height around 30 m (100 ft). Its flowers, petioles, twigs, and seeds are all red to varying degrees. Among these features, however, it is best known for its brilliant deep scarlet foliage in autumn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mountain resort</span> Place to holiday or vacation located in a mountainous area

A mountain resort is a place to holiday or vacation located in an elevated and typically at least relatively isolated area. The term resort implies integral hotel or inn accommodations, restaurants, and either or both sports facilities or scenic attractions. These can either be part of a "destination resort" that provides both accommodations and activities, or in a "resort town" that offers amenities near outdoor areas.

<i>Liquidambar styraciflua</i> Tree species

American sweetgum, also known as American storax, hazel pine, bilsted, redgum, satin-walnut, star-leaved gum, alligatorwood, or simply sweetgum, is a deciduous tree in the genus Liquidambar native to warm temperate areas of eastern North America and tropical montane regions of Mexico and Central America. Sweetgum is one of the main valuable forest trees in the southeastern United States, and is a popular ornamental tree in temperate climates. It is recognizable by the combination of its five-pointed star-shaped leaves and its hard, spiked fruits. It is currently classified in the plant family Altingiaceae, but was formerly considered a member of the Hamamelidaceae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leaf peeping</span> Informal term for viewing autumn color change in foliage

Leaf peeping is an informal term in the United States and Canada for the activity in which people travel to view and photograph the fall foliage in areas where leaves change colors in autumn, particularly in northern New England, Appalachia, the Pacific Northwest, and the upper Midwest, as well as the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. An organized excursion for leaf peeping is known as a foliage tour or color tour.

The Western Lakes and Mountains region spans most of Maine's western border with New Hampshire. A small part of the scenic White Mountain National Forest is located in this area. The region consists of Oxford County, Androscoggin County, Franklin County, as well as northern York and interior Cumberland counties. The largest cities in the region are Lewiston and Auburn. Notable towns include Bethel, Bridgton, Oxford, Rangeley, and Rumford. Many of the state's highest peaks are located in the region, although the highest, Mount Katahdin, is not.

Hidden Lake Gardens colloquially known as Hidden Lake 755 acres (3.06 km2), is a botanical garden and an arboretum operated by Michigan State University situated in the Irish Hills of southeast Michigan. The Gardens are known for their large collection of native and nonnative trees, shrubs and flowers. HLG was given to Michigan State University by Harry Fee in 1945. Today it is visited by nearly 45,000 people annually. One facet of the Hidden Lake Gardens mission is "To preserve an undeveloped area of the scenic Irish Hills, providing a place of beauty and inspiration for public enjoyment."

<i>Quercus coccinea</i> Species of oak tree

Quercus coccinea, the scarlet oak, is a deciduous tree in the red oak section Lobatae of the genus Quercus, in the family Fagaceae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maple</span> Genus of flowering plants

Acer is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae, along with lychee and horse chestnut. There are approximately 132 species, most of which are native to Asia, with a number also appearing in Europe, northern Africa, and North America. Only one species, Acer laurinum, extends to the Southern Hemisphere. The type species of the genus is the sycamore maple, Acer pseudoplatanus, the most common maple species in Europe. Maples usually have easily recognizable palmate leaves and distinctive winged fruits. The closest relatives of the maples are the horse chestnuts. Maple syrup is made from the sap of some maple species. It is one of the most common genera of trees in Asia. Many maple species are grown in gardens where they are valued for their autumn colour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autumn leaf color</span> Phenomenon that affects the leaves during autumn

Autumn leaf color is a phenomenon that affects the normally green leaves of many deciduous trees and shrubs by which they take on, during a few weeks in the autumn season, various shades of yellow, orange, red, purple, and brown. The phenomenon is commonly called autumn colours or autumn foliage in British English and fall colors, fall foliage, or simply foliage in American English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern hardwood forest</span> North American forest ecosystem

The northern hardwood forest is a general type of North American forest ecosystem found over much of southeastern and south-central Canada, Ontario, and Quebec, extending south into the United States in northern New England, New York, and Pennsylvania, and west along the Great Lakes to Minnesota and western Ontario. Some ecologists consider it a transitional forest because it contains species common to both the oak-hickory forest community to the south and the Boreal forest community to the north. The trees and shrub species of the Northern Hardwood Forest are known for their brilliant fall colors, making the regions that contain this forest type popular fall foliage tourist destinations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sugarloaf Mountain (Massachusetts)</span> Butte-like mountain located in Deerfield, Massachusetts, United States

Sugarloaf Mountain or Mount Sugarloaf, is a butte-like mountain located in South Deerfield, Massachusetts, United States, with two summits, North Sugarloaf Mountain 791 ft (241 m) and its more popular knee, South Sugarloaf Mountain 652 ft (199 m). Its cliffs, made of arkose sandstone, are a very prominent landscape feature visible for miles. Despite low elevations relative to the Berkshire Mountains to the west, dramatic cliff faces and a rise of 500 feet (150 m) to 600 feet (180 m) from the nearby Connecticut River make the mountain a popular tourist and hiking destination. Sugarloaf Mountain is the southern terminus of the Pocumtuck Range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Vermont</span> Overview of the Geography of Vermont

The U.S. state of Vermont is located in the New England region of the northeastern United States and comprises 9,614 square miles (24,900 km2), making it the 45th-largest state. It is the only state that does not have any buildings taller than 124 feet (38 m). Land comprises 9,250 square miles (24,000 km2) and water comprises 365 square miles (950 km2), making it the 43rd-largest in land area and the 47th in water area. In total area, it is larger than El Salvador and smaller than Haiti. It is the only landlocked state in New England, and it is the easternmost and the smallest in area of all landlocked states.

<i>Acer palmatum</i> Species of maple

Acer palmatum, commonly known as Japanese maple, palmate maple, or smooth Japanese maple (Korean: danpungnamu, 단풍나무, Japanese: irohamomiji, イロハモミジ, or momiji,, is a species of woody plant native to Korea, Japan, China, eastern Mongolia, and southeast Russia. Many different cultivars of this maple have been selected and they are grown worldwide for their large variety of attractive forms, leaf shapes, and spectacular colors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noah Kahan</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1997)

Noah Kahan is an American singer-songwriter who signed with Republic Records in 2017. His breakthrough single, "Hurt Somebody", achieved gold status in the United States and charted in multiple international markets. The single and EP of the same name preceded the release of his debut album, Busyhead (2019). Within five years, two more albums followed: I Was / I Am (2021) and Stick Season (2022), the second of which went on to be his mainstream commercial breakthrough and led to his nomination in 2023 for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northeastern Highlands (ecoregion)</span>

The Northeastern Highlands Ecoregion is a Level III ecoregion designated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. states of Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The ecoregion extends from the northern tip of Maine and runs south along the Appalachian Mountain Range into eastern Pennsylvania. Discontiguous sections are located among New York's Adirondack Mountains, Catskill Range, and Tug Hill. The largest portion of the Northeastern Highlands ecoregion includes several sub mountain ranges, including the Berkshires, Green Mountains, Taconic, and White Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stick Season (song)</span> 2022 single by Noah Kahan

"Stick Season" is a song by American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, released as the lead single from his album Stick Season on July 8, 2022. Kahan wrote the song himself and co-produced it with Gabe Simon. Although moderately successful in the US upon release, the song went viral on TikTok in mid-2023 and charted internationally, reaching number one in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, the Netherlands and the Flanders region of Belgium, as well as charting in the top 10 in Canada, New Zealand, and the United States.

<i>Stick Season</i> (album) 2022 studio album by Noah Kahan

Stick Season is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan. Produced by Gabe Simon, it was released on October 14, 2022, by Mercury Records and Republic Records. The album was supported by two singles: the title track and "Northern Attitude". An expanded edition of the album, titled Stick Season , was released on June 9, 2023, with seven additional tracks, including an extended version of "The View Between Villages". Another version of the album, titled Stick Season (Forever), was released on February 9, 2024, featuring all the collaborations and three original songs, of which two are the collaborations "You're Gonna Go Far" and "Paul Revere" and one is the single "Forever".

References

  1. "New England Fall Foliage". Discover New England. Archived from the original on 2014-09-22. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  2. "When autumn leaves fall". CNN. 12 October 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  3. "Walking & Hiking". Discover New England. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  4. 1 2 Paul Wade and Kathy Arnol (16 September 2014). "New England in the Fall: Trip of a Lifetime". Telegraph. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  5. Archetti, Marco; Döring, Thomas F.; Hagen, Snorre B.; et al. (2011). "Unravelling the evolution of autumn colours: an interdisciplinary approach". Trends in Ecology & Evolution. 24 (3): 166–73. doi:10.1016/j.tree.2008.10.006. PMID   19178979.
  6. Paul Wade and Kathy Arnold (4 October 2016). "Everything you need to know about visiting New England in the Fall". Telegraph. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  7. Hewitt, Ben (November 2015). "Stick Season" . Yankee Magazine. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  8. "Vermont's Stick Season". Scenes of Vermont. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  9. Andrea Greb (7 September 2014). "Fall in Love". Hellogiggles. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  10. Ahlgrim, Callie. "Noah Kahan took the time of year 'no one really likes' and made it into 'Stick Season,' an album anyone could love". Business Insider. Retrieved 2024-01-18.

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