Why Nova Scotia may see fall colours earlier than usual this year
Nova Scotia has had a dry summer in 2025. We have more on what that means for the upcoming fall colours.
Get your selfie sticks and pumpkin-spiced latte ready, Nova Scotia.
The fall colours should be popping out a little earlier than usual in Halifax, N.S., thanks to an unusually dry summer.
RELATED: How are Nova Scotia's trees faring in a historic drought? What the experts say
“Certainly, we’re seeing signs of early colours due to the drought, and also early leaf drop due the drought. The trees are under stress. They try to conserve resources," said Crispin Wood, Halifax's urban forestry manager, in a recent interview with The Weather Network.
Trees use techniques like early dormancy as a way to adapt, and they drop some of their foliage so they’re not losing as much moisture as they would with a full canopy.
“This year, we’re likely to see a very narrow tree ring as opposed to a wide one with good growing conditions. So the tree growth has slowed down quite a bit because of [these] drought conditions," said Wood.
(Nathan Coleman/The Weather Network)
As for new trees, the city went so far as to completely halt its planting program until the fall when conditions are cooler, and hopefully wetter. The general rule is you can’t water a young tree enough, so it can put new roots into its new surrounding.
“We are very fortunate, here in Nova Scotia. Our falls are very long, and usually the ground does not freeze until December. We can plant right up to that date," said Wood.
The trees are planted in their dormancy and remain that way until the spring, when they get all the snowmelt moisture to send their roots out––all before the heat of the summer kicks in.