Precious Sunshine

I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house.

—Nathaniel Hawthorne

Autumnal sunshine is a hot commodity. After the calendar hits Sept. 23, the first day of fall (also known as the autumnal equinox), nighttime hours start to exceed the number of daylight hours. The sun begins rising later and setting earlier.

There is no time to waste — get out and discover nature! There’s a lot to discover during Missouri’s fall season.

Missouri is blessed with a great variety of trees, shrubs, and woody vines. In fall, their leaves turn beautiful shades of red, gold, and orange at different times, so Missourians enjoy a fall color season that may last six to eight weeks.

Even treeless areas, such as prairies and roadsides, display beautiful shades of gold, copper, purple, olive, and auburn with fall wildflowers, shrubs, and grasses.

Don’t waste another precious second. Get out there, embrace the cool days and crisp nights, and see what awaits you. The following pages will give you some inspiration. For more information, visit our Fall Color page online at short.mdc.mo.gov/ZVf.