Autumn is in swing, and with it comes changes in leaf color on many deciduous trees. Many plan to visit the North Georgia mountains to observe the colorful foliage displays. However, the trees locally can be quite impressive with their leaves. Some species are particularly colorful and thrive in our landscapes.
How and why do the leaves change color? The onset of cooler weather and shorter days initiates several chemical and biological processes that cause the leaves to change colors. Leaves contain several chemical pigments, each having different types of colors. Chlorophyll is the most noticeable since it is the source of the green color in plants. It absorbs sunlight for photosynthesis, which converts light energy to food substances in the plant. Chlorophyll is the one present in the highest quantity during the growing season. In the fall, the plant reduces chlorophyll production. The other pigments, previously masked by the chlorophyll, become visible. They consist of numerous colors, such as red, orange, purple and yellow, which give leaves their fall colors.
Timothy Daly is an Agricultural and Natural Resources Extension Agent with the University of Georgia Extension Henry County office. He can be contacted at 770-288-8421 or tdaly@uga.edu.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.