When the nights grow longer and there is less daylight, leaves are signalled to gently start losing their green chlorophyll colouring and unmask their yellow, gold and reds.
But why do the trees not just lose their green leaves, job done!

I’ve talked to a few experts over the years and theories and facts abound. Here are a few well-known and less known facts/ ideas.
So once the green chlorophyll fades the yellow and gold flavonoid pigments underneath are revealed.
The trees and shrubs are actively trying to store up as much nutrition as possible for the Winter to come (nitrogen etc.). The normal colour in fairly rich nutritious soils creates yellow hues. But if the soil is low in nutrition the poor tree needs to go to extra lengths and effort to create redder anthocyanin pigments.
Another fact/theory is that the colourful pigments provide a protective sunscreen to the leaves if it’s a very sunny Autumn. This sunscreen effect will keep the leaves on longer, enabling more of the all-important nutrition harvesting to take place.
Should very harsh, cold weather arrive the more reddish in tone, hence the more dramatic and famous colder country Autumn colouring.

#autumncolours🍂 #daylight #sunshine🌞

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