Southwest Michigan's Fall Colors
Posted on October 6, 2025
Fall has officially arrived in Southwest Michigan, bringing with it the beauty of changing leaves. Each year’s mix of sunlight, temperature, and rainfall creates a unique display that influences when colors peak, how vibrant they appear, and how long they last. It’s part of what makes Michigan’s fall season so intriguing and magical.
Why leaves change color:
As days get shorter and sunlight fades, trees stop making chlorophyll - the green pigment that fuels photosynthesis. When that green fades, the yellows and oranges that were hiding underneath start to show. Reds and purples appear when sugars get trapped in the leaves on sunny days and cool nights, creating those brilliant fall hues that we all love! The first trees to change over will be drought-stressed trees, and trees that are near roads or highways that have less soil availability.
How weather affects fall color:
The best fall color happens after a warm, sunny summer followed by cool (but not freezing) nights. How bright the leaves appear and how long the colors last depend on the temperature and moisture levels leading up to and during the time when trees begin losing chlorophyll. Too much rain or drought can dull the display or cause leaves to drop early. A warm, dry fall can also shorten the leaf-peeping season.
Michigan’s most colorful trees:
🍁 Sugar and red maples – fiery reds, oranges, and yellows
🌳 Aspen and birch – golden yellows across northern forests
🌿 Oaks and hickories – deep reds, rusts, and golds
🍂 Sassafras – rainbow tones from yellow to purple
🌲 Tamarack (larch) – a rare conifer that turns bright yellow before dropping its needles
In a typical year, the first trees to change colors are maples and sassafras, which give us fiery oranges, reds and yellows. The oaks and hickories typically change later in the season.
COL preserves offer some of the best vantage points to take in the colors of fall. Across the prairies, goldenrods fade from bright yellow to soft brown as they dry, while the tree lines beyond offer sweeping views, as the tops of maple trees are some of the first to change a brilliant red. Walking trails through the understory, you can look up through golden sassafras leaves and catch glimpses of sunlight filtering through the canopy. Take some time this fall to get outside and enjoy the beautiful transformation unfolding around you!
