Fall’s full splendor of color is reaching it’s peak in our area. Do you remember what caues this annual display of vivid fall foliage?
The process whereby deciduous trees – those that have leaves – shed their leaves in temperate climate zones is officially know as abscission. In the autumn leaves change color, turning yellow, bright orange or red because as the sunlight wanes and temperatures drop, tree curtail their chlorophyll production, which is responsible for the green coloration of a leaf. This shutdown in turn unveils the presence of various pigments, specifically carotenoids, xanthophylls, and anthocyanins in a leaf. Each pigment is responsible for a different color, orange, yellow, and red/purple respectfully. So the vivid colors of autumn are always behind the scenes waiting for fall to reveal themselves.
Trees and Their Fall Colors
Oak leaves tend to turn brown or red or a mix of those two.
Hickory leaves tend to turn bronze colored.
Aspen leaves tend to turn golden colored.
Dogwood leaves tend to turn a mix of purple and red.
Maple tree leaves vary quite a bit in autumn color. Red maple will turn scarlet. Sugar maple will turn orange-ish/red. Black maple will turn bright yellow.
Elm tree leaves tend to simply fall off without really changing color much before falling.
The season only allows us a brief two to three week window to enjoy a glimpse of nature’s fall finery. I hope you have a chance to enjoy it.
Wallingford PA Real Estate – Wallingford, PA 19086
