Autumn Enchantment

by Victoria Vacher

    THE ENCHANTMENT OF AUTUMN is in large part due to the magical colors emerging on deciduous trees. As summer fades into fall, the days grow shorter producing less sunlight. This signals the tree to secrete an abscising fluid causing the production of chlorophyll to cease and the leaves to drop in preparation for winter. Once this happens, the green color (chlorophyll) begins to fade and allows the other pigments (which are always there but hidden) to show through. Thus the splendid reds, oranges and yellows become visible providing beautiful autumn foliage.

    Brilliant reds emerge when the pigment Anthocyanin is allowed to appear. The spectacular reds with sometimes a tinge of purple are striking on the earliest tree to display fall color, Black Gum Tree (Nyssa Sylvatica). Xanthophyll is the pigment responsible for the beautiful yellows of fall. Aspen trees, Birch and some oaks display brilliant yellow colors. Xanthophyll contains oxygen while carotene (responsible for the amazing orange colors) does not. The two pigments also absorb light wavelengths differently accounting for the variance in color between them. Carotenoid pigment is responsible for the stunning orange the Sugar Maple (Acer Saccharum) displays.  Many trees possess several pigments and depending on which one is dominant the colors can vary.