For many years scientists have tried to understand why the leaves change for from September through November. Even though they have not gotten all the details, we have enough to understand the groundwork of the beautiful colors. The three main elements are leaf pigments, the weather, and the length of the night. The leaf pigments show the color of specific kinds of leaves and their species.
The leaves change color based on the tree, the temperature at night, and the weather. During the summer the leaves produce carotene, xanthophyll, chlorophyll, and anthocyanin, although leaves produce so much chlorophyll to the point where the other bright colors aren’t shown until much cooler temperatures begin.
The drop in temperature at night allows the leaves to stop creating the chlorophyll and begin using the other pigments (carotene, xanthophyll, and anthocyanin or orange, yellow, and red) which grants the colors to peek through bringing the beautiful autumn colors.
Every kind of tree has a certain ‘fall’ pigment and starts producing it at different times. For example, the Honey Locust begins showing its color very early in the season, and the Sugar Maple slowly shows its color throughout the season.
What states have the best Fall colors?
The best fall colors are the New England states such as Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. These states have the best colors because of how vibrant and beautiful the tones are. The previously mentioned states have warm autumn days and cold nights which again allows the chlorophyll to stop producing and will allow the other colors to peek through letting the leaves change into their pretty colors.
New England has the perfect temperature during the day and at night, the elevation, and the different variety of trees (mainly maple). This is why these states are most popular in the months from September to November.
Three amazing areas to see the fall colors
Stowe ~Vermont, Stowe is a small town in Vermont and has beautiful areas for hiking, biking, and nature trails with different difficulties.
Amicalola Falls State Park ~Georgia, the gorgeous waterfall known as Georgia’s tallest waterfall can be seen from other trails around it. The waterfall is surrounded by maple and oke trees that can be bright fall colors when around September to November.
Plum Orchard Lake ~West Virginia, a boat on this lake can give you a beautiful view of red, orange, and yellow-leaved trees. If not having a boat might be your reason not to visit, the lake provides kayaks and rowboats for rent. These trees can be a beautiful background for photos.
