I hope you all have gotten a chance to be outside and soak in all the amazing colors of fall! The trees are looking beautiful here at Eldridge Park. I have been enjoying crunching leaves, piling them up and throwing them into the air!
Why do we call it fall? Say it with me: "the leaves fall!" Nice job you smarty pants, you. That's the reason. Autumn used to be referred to as "harvest" but as people moved more and more to an urban life they started referring to it "fall of the leaf" and it gradually turned into just plain old "fall".
Leaves are falling which is awesome but I think the best part of fall is the colors! "Why do leaves turn different colors?", I hear you say. Great question!
Leaves change different colors because the actual chemical composition in the leaf is changing. There are three molecules that are responsible for color in leaves:
Chlorophyll - Green
Anthocyanin - Red
Carotenoid - Orange
Chlorophyll you might remember from science class as the green stuff in plants that absorbs the sunlight used for photosynthesis. Chlorophyll starts breaking down when the hours of daylight start to slowly diminish. Once the chlorophyll starts going away the other chemicals that were always present in the leaf get their time in the spotlight.So poor little carotenoids and xanthophylls. They wait their whole little existences for the brief seasonal transition when they can shout "Hello world! I'm here and I'm beautiful!"
The anthocyanins, however, only join the fall fiesta once the chlorophyll starts leaving. The amount of anthocyanins produced is related to environmental factors. You want fall days that are bright and cool, and nights that are chilly but not freezing for some great reds and purples.
So next time you are out for a walk take a moment to thank some lesser known molecules for the beauty that surrounds you! "Thanks for caring carotenoids, thanks for always being there for us, anthocyanins."
Love,
Eco
