By Ursula Basch, Herbal Bear
As Autumn approaches, we are starting to notice the leaves changing color. Have you ever wondered why this happens? The leaves of trees and plants in fact have many colors. The reason most plants are green in the summer is because green chlorophyll, the substance that lets plants turn sunlight into chemical energy, is abundant in the leaves. Cooler temperatures and shorter days, serve as a trigger to a tree that it needs to start getting rid of its leaves. Fall brings less sunlight and together with cooler temperatures, the process of photosynthesis slows, causing chlorophyll in the leaves to break down.
If Chlorophyl is Green, What About the Other Colors?
The colors red, and purple, come from anthocyanins. The oranges are a combination of pigments: red anthocyanins, and the yellow cartenoids and xanthophylls. These anthocyanin pigments protect the leaf, acting like a kind of sunscreen. They keep the sun's radiation from breaking down the leaf pigments too quickly, allowing the tree more time to get the nitrogen and other nutrients out of the leaf and recycle it back into the woody part of the tree for next year
Why are Some Autumns More Colorful Than Others?
Autumn leaf coloration each year is different. Depending on the weather, there will be different colored chemicals in leaves. Green chlorophyll disappears fastest when the autumn weather has bright sunlight and cold days. This quickly exposes the leaves' orange and yellow pigments. Dry weather concentrates sugar - which speeds up manufacture of red compounds. So colorful autumns depend on the weather.
Different Trees Turn Different Colors
Trees with yellow leaves include: Birch, Poplar, Basswood, Beech, Witch Hazel, and Hickory. The trees which show the best red colors are: Red Maple, Sugar Maple, Red Oak, Dogwood, and Sumac.
The Northeast Has Some of the Best Fall foliage!
Because of its climate and the variety of trees, the Northeastern United States has some of the best fall foliage in the world. Even in areas where the climate is similar, such as areas of northern Europe, there are no Maple trees. Most of Europe's fall foliage is yellow! Maples trees, especially Sugar Maple and Red Maples, have those special red chemical compounds and together with our other varied tree species produce a variety of color resulting in the spectacular foliage displays found throughout the northeastern USA.
As Autumn approaches, we are starting to notice the leaves changing color. Have you ever wondered why this happens? The leaves of trees and plants in fact have many colors. The reason most plants are green in the summer is because green chlorophyll, the substance that lets plants turn sunlight into chemical energy, is abundant in the leaves. Cooler temperatures and shorter days, serve as a trigger to a tree that it needs to start getting rid of its leaves. Fall brings less sunlight and together with cooler temperatures, the process of photosynthesis slows, causing chlorophyll in the leaves to break down.
If Chlorophyl is Green, What About the Other Colors?
The colors red, and purple, come from anthocyanins. The oranges are a combination of pigments: red anthocyanins, and the yellow cartenoids and xanthophylls. These anthocyanin pigments protect the leaf, acting like a kind of sunscreen. They keep the sun's radiation from breaking down the leaf pigments too quickly, allowing the tree more time to get the nitrogen and other nutrients out of the leaf and recycle it back into the woody part of the tree for next year
Why are Some Autumns More Colorful Than Others?
Autumn leaf coloration each year is different. Depending on the weather, there will be different colored chemicals in leaves. Green chlorophyll disappears fastest when the autumn weather has bright sunlight and cold days. This quickly exposes the leaves' orange and yellow pigments. Dry weather concentrates sugar - which speeds up manufacture of red compounds. So colorful autumns depend on the weather.
Different Trees Turn Different Colors
Trees with yellow leaves include: Birch, Poplar, Basswood, Beech, Witch Hazel, and Hickory. The trees which show the best red colors are: Red Maple, Sugar Maple, Red Oak, Dogwood, and Sumac.
The Northeast Has Some of the Best Fall foliage!
Because of its climate and the variety of trees, the Northeastern United States has some of the best fall foliage in the world. Even in areas where the climate is similar, such as areas of northern Europe, there are no Maple trees. Most of Europe's fall foliage is yellow! Maples trees, especially Sugar Maple and Red Maples, have those special red chemical compounds and together with our other varied tree species produce a variety of color resulting in the spectacular foliage displays found throughout the northeastern USA.
