Where Do The Rich Colours Of Autumn Come From ?

Here in England, Autumn is now definitely upon us. Whilst the days have been beautifully warm and mellow,the nights feel cold and damp, and the evenings are drawing in, becoming darker earlier and earlier Although perhaps not as spectacular as a New England Fall, Autumn in Great Britain is beautiful, colourful and special The rich and vibrant hues of bright purple, flame red, brilliant orange, gold and yellow produce a blaze of fire through Halloween and Bonfire Night until late into Autumn and the onset of winter.

Have you ever stopped to wonder what causes this magnificent display?

The answer lies in the physiology of plants and trees.

The change in colour from the lush green leaves of summer to the rich autumnal colours is caused by the cessation in production of food or chlorophyll.

Leaves owe their green colour to the presence of chlorophyll. As the level of chlorophyll drops, other pigments already present in the leaf are revealed. Although photosynthesis has slowed down, sugars are still being produced but the lower temperatures also result in their transport around the plant becoming slower.

These sugars are converted into anthocyanins wnich cause the vivid bronze and red colours. Anthocyanin production is increased by light,so the clearer, bright days of autumn together with the slowing down of the plant's transport system leads to an accumulation of anthocyanin in the leaf. We see the effect of this in the vivid rich autumn leaf display. The cold but frost-free nights of Autumn enhance this intense foliage colour by delaying leaf fall and so reducing the rate of loss of sugar removal along with the leaf. More sugar in the leaf means more anthocyanin produced and more red brown colours.

As well as admiring the beauty of Autumn, we gardeners have lots of practical work to do in the garden. It is a busy time. The gardening we do now in the mellow Fall conditions will pay dividends later. For a useful guide on which gardening tasks should be done in autumn, please visit Busy Gardening http://busygardening.com.

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