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Color My World

© Wesley Ford

As I sit down at my computer, I look across the room and look out the window at yellowing leaves of the Siberian Elm tree that arches over the drive, I am reminded of a conversation that is common occurrence for foresters at this time of year. It goes something like this:

"Well with the weather so (dry/wet)this year, do you think the color will be any good?"

"Sure, why wouldn't they be?"

"You know, on TV they said the weather will cause the leaves to be dull."

"About all I can say is I've lived in this valley for over 20 years and I can't remember a year when they haven't been spectacular! Can you?"

"Well...., no I guess I can't. When do you think the peak will be?"

"Too early to tell, but my guess would be about the same time as usual, from mid- to late October. Have the talking heads changed the calendar too?"

"No but they said the cool nights might move the peak viewing date up a week or 10 days."

"Well, who do they think they are, God or something?"

All too common a conversation for a cranky old forester like me. Locally our media flock to the US Park Service personnel to obtain special insights into the severity and timing of the season. And the Parks people are happy to bless us with their annual dire prediction of dull color and early or late arrival. (But dour predictions and alarmist views are the norm for these global warming afflicted souls.)

Anyway, tis the season to be colorful! Celebrate! The trees will turn, be spectacular in their pre-winter ward robe, and doze off to pique our wonder again on the spring! It doesn't matter what I say, what the parks people say, what the news commentators say, nor SQS Penguin says. It will happen.

Our first hint that nature knows another color other than green is long past. Some cool 55 degree night in mid-August started the trickle. For several days later, the black(sour) gums(tupelo){Nyssa Syvatica} and sourwoods {Oxydendrum arboreum} began to exhibit a branch or two of vivid red. In the drought stricken east the elms also were shedding yellow leaves at this time. Moisture stressed dogwoods {Cornus Virginia}and maples {Acer spp.}also exhibited some pre-mature color changes as photosynthesis shut down and chlorophyll was depleted, thus revealing the other pigments present in the leaves. Oranges and yellows dominated as xanthophylls and carotenes became the dominant pigments present. When reds appeared they resulted from anthocynins that were formed in the leaves as a result of sugars formed from the decomposition of chlorophyll combined with proteins in the leaf cell fluids.

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