Each autumn, people enjoy the beauty of a wide array of colors during fall. You’ll find a mixture of purple, red, yellow and orange. Chemical processes in plants cause all this as seasons change from summer to winter.
During summer and spring, the plant leaves act as factories where most of the foods vital for the plant’s growth are made. The nutrient-making process happens in the leaf in various cells that contain chlorophyll – it gives leaves the green color. Chlorophyll absorbs sunlight energy which converts water and carbon dioxide to carbohydrates like start and sugars.
Apart from the green color, you can find orange to yellow colors, xanthophyll and carotenes pigments responsible for the orange colors in carrots. The green coloring masks most of the colors you see over the year.
Fall colors
Every fall, nature rewards human beings with a vast array of magical colors. These should be a huge inspiration to all outdoor lovers and gardeners. It would be best if you considered adding a few tree types into your garden that have stunning fall colors. There is a great list of plants with awesome fall foliage colors at the United States National Arboretum. What planning a garden and outdoor space it is always great to think about how the space will look during different season. Think about what plants and trees will look like during the fall, we call this "Fall Interest".
The Science Behind Chlorophyll and Photosynthesis
Color changes in leaves are mainly because of changes in the length of the day. When the days become shorter, chlorophyll production and photosynthesis reduce until they eventually stop. When a plant lacks chlorophyll, you start to notice pigments in a leaf which are called carotenoids. They cause the production of orange, yellow and brown colors.
Additionally, the color of a plant might change because of light intensity and weather. Anthocyanins are purple and red pigments. They’re caused when high amounts of sugar in the plant are exposed to bright light.
Weather highly affects the color intensity of the leaves. Light, temperature, and water supply highly influence the duration and degree of leaf color. Reduced temperatures above freezing are good for anthocyanin production, which leads to appealing reds. If there is an early frost, the amazing red color is weakened. Overcast or/and rainy weather tends to enhance the intensity of fall colors.
According to scientists, anthocyanin pigments can help protect the photosynthetic system when plants are dormant, and their nutrients move to other places. The pH level in the leaves highly determines the types of anthocyanin pigments. Plants with high acid levels have highly red hues, while those with reduced pH have purple hues.
During fall, the changing weather makes the leaves develop a corky membrane between the stem and branch. The membrane causes reduced nutrients to flow in the leaves, which begin to change. Eventually, the leaves will fall.
Evergreens? Only a few trees lose leaves
Some tree types, including spruces, pines, firs, cedars, hemlocks, etc., are always green throughout the year. Their scale or needle-like leaves stay greenish or green, and a single leaf can stay intact for 2-4 years.
Enjoy Fall
At Green Landing Co, we love fall. This gives us gardeners another fun look to our outdoor spaces and allows another "show" before winter. Get out there this Autumn and take in all the great new sights that mother nature brings.
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