…that fall colors happen when green leaves stop producing their chlorophyll pigment, allowing other colored pigments to show through? As autumn continues and the total supply of chlorophyll dwindles, other pigments that have been present in the cells during the leaf’s life begin to show, like carotenoids and anthocyanins.
Carotenoids give us colorations of yellow and orange and many hues in between. Here on Roper Mountain, the brilliant yellow leaves are mostly our hickories. Other leaves tinted with yellow on the mountain are our chestnut oak. Those leaves with tints of orange can be seen on our sweetgum and sassafras trees. Carotenoids are common in other living things, such as carrots and corn.
The reds and purples come from another group of pigments in the sap of cells called anthocyanins. Bright red colors in some trees are produced when glucose is trapped in the leaves after sunny days followed by cold nights. On Roper Mountain, brilliant red colored leaves are found on our red maples, blackgums, sourwoods, and dogwoods. These pigments also give the familiar color to such common fruits as cranberries, red apples, cherries, strawberries, and plums.
Plan to visit when we are open during our Afternoon Explorations to enjoy our fall colors!
