September 30, 2025
September 30, 2025
Color Change: 100% (High)
Leaf Drop: Moderate
It is peak leaf watching time in Spearfish Canyon! Birch and aspen are showing off their yellow hues around Kissing Rocks all the way past Roughlock Falls. Sumac and dogwood are still sparkling with deep reds and purples. The first miles of the byway are seeing significant leaf drop after a rainstorm rolled through town last evening. But the foliage colors and leaf abundance start to perk up after Bridal Veil Falls. In this area especially, the marsh elder are towering high with orange-ginger shades until Maurice Intake.
Here's a treat for insect lovers today. Check out the photo in today’s report of the pinecone-looking growth on the willow leaf. The pinecone actually houses a small midge, a two-winged fly. The larvae live on the willow branch which prompts the gall (pinecone formation). These late September days are when the larvae reach maturity. On this particular willow tree, several gall were already dried up and had taken on a black color. Luckily for the tree, the midge do not cause serious harm to the host. The tree serves as a neighborhood to build the midge gall homes for a few months. Sometimes the midge will stay the winter in their pinecone gall.
