Virginia Department of Forestry

Governor Glenn Youngkin has proclaimed October 19-25, 2025 Forest Products Week in Virginia to recognize the many products, jobs and quality-of-life benefits our forests provide. 🪵 DYK: There are forest products in many everyday items including toothpaste, chewing gum, shampoo, cosmetics and even your favorite foods? 🧀🍦🪥 Read the news release and proclomation: https://ow.ly/rgWI50Xf5bf

Fall color progression was slow again this week due to wet, warm weather. Grayson and Highland counties lead, with some westernmost mountains in Highland already past peak. Meanwhile, patchy color is creeping across the Valley and Piedmont. 🍁 Yellow is the most common fall color, brought mainly by hickory, sugar maple and birch trees. Pops of red are mainly black gum, red maple and sourwood trees. Color development will likely remain slow unless the weather turns cold, sunny and dry. Stay tuned!

You asked, we're delivering — the next Callery pear exchange event is Nov. 8 in Richmond! 🪓🔄🌳Remove invasive pear trees from your property and get ✨free✨ native replacements. Fall is a great time to remove and chemically treat invasive plants. It's also a great time to plant many native species. Register today before slots fill up: https://ow.ly/Q97R50XbWk0

Fall fire season is here, bringing increased fire danger to an already dry Virginia. Most wildfires are started by people, with escaped debris being the leading cause. Here are some key practices for preventing wildfires: 🚫 Avoid having outdoor fires on dry, windy days 🔥 Keep fires small and far from vegetation 🪣 Have tools and water on hand 📱 Have your phone ready to call 911 in case of an emergency 👀 Stay with your fire until it's out cold Learn more: https://ow.ly/Lm4B50XbOnn

Final call to donate acorns, walnuts and chestnuts! 📢 Please drop donations off before 4:30 p.m. tomorrow. This deadline is necessary so we can plant under ideal conditions. Thank you for helping us grow more trees! 🌳🫶 Find a drop-off location: https://ow.ly/L1MH50Xbly8 Additional locations in Northern Virginia (please note some close Oct. 14): https://ow.ly/v5Vm50Xbly9

Fall colors are progressing slowly this week. 🐌 🍁 The Grayson Highlands are just starting to reach peak color, while the Alleghenies vary between patchy and near peak. Views along Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway are getting nice, but the region is still very green. Read more and learn which tree species are stealing the show in our full report: https://ow.ly/oCro50X9eGR

Going camping this fall? 🏕️🍁 Help our forests by getting firewood at your destination. Insect pests like the spotted lanternfly and emerald ash borer can hide in firewood, allowing them to spread and destroy more forests when moved. 🪵🪲

Thanks to recent weather, green is still the predominant color in most of Virginia's forests. Only some of the highest elevation areas in the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains are starting to see patchy to partial change. Read the full week 2 fall foliage report ➡️ https://ow.ly/hK6F50X5XkG

DOF's online seedling store is now open! Shop from 56 Virginia-grown tree and shrub species at BuyVATrees.com. 🌱🛒 DOF accepts orders until April, but supplies are limited, and some species sell out quickly. Orders placed now will be ready next February, right in time for the spring planting season, and can be shipped nationally or picked up from our nursery.

Just two weeks remain to donate your acorns, chestnuts and black walnuts! ⏰ 🌰 Find your nearest drop-off location: https://ow.ly/ZizE50X3zYC If you've already donated, thank you! Your donations are on their way to our nursery, where they'll grow with beautiful views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. 🌱🌅