This time of year, nature shows her true colors

Everyone knows the leaves change this time of year, but do you know why?

It's a little more complicated than: "Because it's getting colder."

"The colors--the reds and yellows--are already inherent in (deciduous tree) leaves," said Jim Ramage, a retired veterinarian and certified Master Gardener from Manor.

"During the productive season of the tree during spring and summer, chlorophyll -- what generates energy for the tree -- masks the true colors with green. As the amount of light plants receive starts to diminish in fall, trees stop producing chlorophyll and the true colors emerge."

Yellow and brown leaves are common when chlorophyll production ceases, but red and orange leaves can appear in certain species when sunshine and cooler temperatures blend with the absence of green chlorophyll, causing the tree to produce sugar in its leaves.

But a vast array of factors, including exposure to wind and proximity to the predominant species in the area, means that trees of the same species might not turn the same colors -- and no tree ever turns its leaves exactly the same from year to year.

"A lot of the color and the onset of slumber for leaves depends on soil conditions, the health of the tree itself and the amount of moisture it receives in late summer and early fall," Ramage said. "That's why the colors might be spectacular one year and not the next."

So what can we expect before the trees are soon bare?

"We're already far along in the cycle, but it's looking like a pretty good year for bright colors," Ramage said. "I think we're going to have more beauty to look at for a few more weeks, so get outside."