Updates on neighborhood leaf sweeping… and leaf peeping

Ginkgo trees on Appleton Street, fall 2020.

Some of our neighbors might be spending Halloween raking leaves. Others get to put it off a little longer.

The DC Department of Public Works will have crews out vacuuming up leaves starting Monday, November 1st. They will collect leaves raked into the tree box areas next to the curb.

ANC 3F residents are in areas A and C. Those who live in Area A (between Broad Branch and Connecticut) will have their leaves collected from November 1st to the 6th.

Residents in Area C (between Nebraska, Connecticut and Massachusetts) need to rake their leaves into tree boxes by or on November 14th and for collection from November 15th to the 20th.

DPW will come around a second time in December: December 6th to the 11th for Area A, And December 27th to the 31st in Area C.

If wind blows the leaves out of the tree box areas before the pickup crews arrive, you will need to rake again. Do not rake leaves into street. If your leaves are not collected, call 311 or visit 311.dc.gov to open a Leaf Season Collection request.

And you can download the MyDPW app to receive alerts when crews collect leaves on your street.

Of course, you don’t have to rake. The leaves make great mulch and compost for your lawn and garden.

If leaf peeping is more your thing

Casey Trees has updated its interactive DC street trees fall foliage map.

Each dot is a single tree planted by either Casey Trees or DDOT’s Urban Forestry Division, color-coded by type. And you can click on each dot on the map for more details.

There are almost two dozen types of trees on this map. Casey Trees singles out five of them as “Fall Showstoppers:” American sweetgum, black tupelo, ginkgo, red maple, and scarlet oak.

What and where are your fall foliage favorites?