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Not many words in this blog but, now and then, a few of my photographs--
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2011
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November
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- Monday, Monday
- Which Way is Down From Here?
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- November Sunshine, November Color
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- One Last Round: Yellow, Green, Gold, Orange, Scarlet
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About Me
- P. J. Grath
- Blogger, bookseller, philosopher, amateur photographer, lifetime writer. Negligent but passionate gardener. Good cook when inspired. No kind of housekeeper at all. Very big reader!
Looks like my backyard. We've raked up 20 hefty bagfulls thus far and were about to go at it again when we got a dusting of snow. From
ReplyDeletea long ago class in Plant Physiology:
"The shortening days and cool nights of autumn trigger changes in the tree. One of these changes is the growth of a corky membrane between the branch and the leaf stem. This membrane interferes with the flow of nutrients into the leaf. Because the nutrient flow is interrupted, the production of chlorophyll in the leaf declines, and the green color of the leaf fades. If the leaf contains carotene, as do the leaves of birch and hickory, it will change from green to bright yellow as the chlorophyll disappears. In some trees, as the concentration of sugar in the leaf increases, the sugar reacts to form anthocyanins. These pigments cause the yellowing leaves to turn red. Red maples, red oaks, and sumac produce anthocyanins in abundance and display the brightest reds and purples in the autumn landscape."
..better things for better living through chemistry. yeah right!
Good information, BB. Every year people ask what makes fall color in the leaves. Here's their answer. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteOur huge old scarlet maple invariably turns
ReplyDeleteyellow in the Fall. I'm thinking it is low on
sugar to form anthocyanins. A diabetic tree?