BILTMORE REOPENS NOVEMBER 2. VIEW HELENE RESPONSE.
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Embrace autumn’s artistry: Chihuly at Biltmore and fall’s colorful splendor.
Discover Biltmore’s rare and beautiful objets d’art—furnishings, paintings, tapestries, and more.
Yellow Ironweed flowers and late summer Goldenrods are the stars of summer’s grand finale as the season winds down and butterflies nab their final sips of nectar. Acorns and hickory nuts are falling, much to the delight of the squirrels and turkeys getting ready for winter. Dogwoods are developing light shades of red, as are the Sourwood and Tupelo trees. The colors of the Dogwoods will deepen and become more rich as the season progresses.
With their stippling of yellows, oranges, and reds, a few Maples in the gardens and forests have begun their annual transition from summer’s verdant green. The warm, sunny days and cooler nighttime temperatures will accelerate autumn color as September comes to a close. Cooler temperatures in the higher elevations have already triggered the stunning transformation of trees on the surrounding mountain peaks.
The Southern Appalachian autumn leaf display is getting underway. It’s a show you won’t want to miss—plan your fall visit now!
The first signs of autumn—the reds of the Dogwoods and rusty-browns of Virginia Creeper vines—reveal themselves amid still-lush green foliage along the Approach Road.
This Beautyberry shrub, showing off an abundance of deep purple fruit, adorns a wall near Biltmore’s Italian Garden.
Biltmore House peeks through the trees into a sea of pinkish-purple and white Anemones within the Shrub Garden.
Come stroll Biltmore’s Spring Garden to enjoy this view of Dogwoods showing early fall color.
Laden with brilliant berries, Pyracantha bushes add vivid blazes of orange within Biltmore’s Walled Garden.
In Biltmore’s Walled Garden, newly planted Mums hint at their full-bloom colors while the purples of Globe Amaranth reign in the background.
Fiery Coleus leaves, bright fuchsia Chenille blooms, and dramatic purple Dahlia flowers pop amid the complementary greens of surrounding foliage in this striking Walled Garden bed.
This view of ruddy-red Abelia and the Blue Ridge Mountains, soon to be transformed by waves of fall color, is yours when you stay at our four-star Inn on Biltmore Estate®.
Summer’s hot days and thunder showers usually become far less frequent as the season draws to a close. By mid- to late September, the estate’s late summer garden annuals may perk up with the cooler nights, only to be replaced with colorful chrysanthemums in October. In Antler Hill Village, wave upon wave of sunflowers rise skyward and share their cheerful full-bloom faces. Depending on weather conditions, the estate’s yellow buckeyes can show early leaf coloration, and dogwoods may develop light shades of red, hints that fall will soon be upon us in Asheville. Ironweed flowers and late summer goldenrods also signal summer’s finale, as butterflies enjoy their final sips of sugary nectar. Much to the delight of squirrels and turkeys getting ready for winter, acorns and hickory nuts begin to drop to the forest floor.
The much-anticipated arrival of peak fall color is influenced by day length and temperatures, which can vary from year to year. Similar to the way chilly autumn days prompt us to grab that flannel shirt or light sweater, these cool temperatures trigger the leaf chemistry behind the brilliant color transformations we see.
Fall floral displays, carefully planned to provide good color in October, usually reach peak bloom toward the middle of the month. As our gardeners plant out fall floral designs in the display beds, the first true autumn leaf color begins to show in the native dogwood and sourwood trees that line estate roads and pastures. Their flares of red will deepen as the month progresses. Yellow poplars and sweet birches will offer up amber hues. These early trees hold color through the season and add to peak color at the end of October with sugar maples, red maples, hickory, and gum trees giving the best show. Guests walking the gardens in October enjoy some of the best fall color up close on Japanese maples, woody shrubs, ferns, and other perennials.
Be sure to visit the gardens to see and smell the Japanese Katsura tree; as this striking tree’s heart-shaped leaves turn a buttery yellow, they give off a scent like cotton candy.
At 2,000 feet in elevation with spectacular views of the nearby 5,000-foot+ elevations of the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, Biltmore is the perfect place to experience an abundance of fall color from October through early November.
With the arrival of November, red and white oaks and fall grasses in the Deer Park below Biltmore House represent the autumn season’s final bow. Vibrant Carolina allspice, fothergilla shrubs, and oakleaf hydrangeas shine brightly amid the evergreens. Chilly breezes send leaves adrift, covering the roads and trails and creating a protective blanket for wildlife throughout the winter. Sugar and red maples continue to impress with their fiery oranges and reds. Gold-covered hickories turn to bronze, beeches give the forests a warm glow, and Japanese maples are absolutely brilliant: their annual show never disappoints. Colorful winter berries are now exposed on many trees and shrubs for the birds that will brighten winter days.
With fall’s end, we shift gears to fine-tune our appreciation of winter’s pristine beauty, the approach of the holiday season, and the magic of Christmas at Biltmore.