If fall is your favorite season of the year, you’re likely smiling already. Cooler weather, fall foliage, and pumpkin spice lattes (sorry) are here.
Autumn is a special time at GFC because we get to spotlight Georgia trees’ amazing foliage spectacle. Hardwood trees, notably in the northern part of our state, enter the “leaf senescence” period – the technical name for leaf color change.
What causes it? After the fall equinox (first day of fall), shortening days and decreased sunlight hours provide a signal to the trees (as well as to many other species of plants, animals, and insects) that it’s time to start preparing for dormancy until next spring. As sunlight hours decrease, leaves stop replacing their chlorophyll, the pigment which give leaves the green color we all know. Yellow and red pigments move in to take their place. These changing pigments provide a sunscreen to protect plant cells from seasonal changes in UV radiation wavelength. This allows the cells to do their job and get as many of the nutrients, sugars, and resources moved from the leaf back into the stem. The tree can then seal off its woody tissue to conserve those resources for reallocation next spring. So, fall leaf color change is not only a visual feast for our eyes, it is an essential part of the annual life cycle of deciduous trees. A fully expressed leaf senescence makes for better sugar production during the growing season, and a vigorous tree with good sugar production will typically have better expressed fall color.
Georgia Forestry Commission foresters in northwest, central, and northeast Georgia, annually report on changing leaf colors in their regions throughout October. Fresh #GALeafWatch reports are posted on Thursdays, along with representative photos, suggested viewing routes, and notable festivals and events. Media partners FOX5 TV Weather and 95.5 WSB’s Green and Growing program help spread the word.
And here’s more good news. It’s almost planting time in Georgia! November through March are the best months to get seedlings in the ground, as it gives them time to settle in and establish roots for the warm months ahead. All the information you need can be found at GaTrees.org.