Thursday, October 4, 2007

The Autumn Leaves vs Bowers of Spring


The leaf colors are changing daily--they were green last week and now are mixed with vibrants reds. Photo by Barbara

Some Trivia: When I was a kid my mom would play "Autumn Leaves" by Roger Williams on a monstrous console stereo we had in the living room. My grandson said Autumn is his favorite season; I'm inclined to agree with him. West Sacramento has been designated a Tree City U.S.A by the Arbor Day Foundation.


Why Turn Red?
"A leaf turning red in the fall makes for a much greater mystery than a leaf turning yellow does. The yellowing signals simply a dropping of veils because the yellow pigment has lain hidden in the leaf during its long, green summer. When summer ends and the green pigments break down, the yellow shines through. Reds, however, don't loll around all summer. A leaf with only a few weeks left to hang on its tree summons its faltering resources for a burst of bright-red-pigment making."

1 comment:

Chandlermom said...

I thought they were flowers in the smaller pic, then discovered they were leaves - so pretty!