Maple Tree with Red leaves in fall with Brown Ferns during a rain

Maple and Ferns in Fall

Michigan, USA

The chemical compound chlorophyll allows photosynthesis to happen. It’s also what makes leaves look green throughout the Spring an Summer. During the Fall, the shortening days and colder nights trigger the trees to prepare for winter. Photosynthesis shuts down, and chlorophyll fades from the leaves, allowing other colors to emerge.

Red in maple leaves comes from anthocyanin, an anti-oxidant that also makes reds and purples in fruits and vegetables. Anthocyanin protects leaves from disease and drought, repairs leaf damage, and acts as a natural sunscreen.During the fall, as the stems of maple leaves shut off from a tree’s branches, leftover glucose trapped in the leaves is used to increase the level of anthocyanin. Chilly nights that stay above freezing promote anthocyanin production. One theory suggests that anthocyanin from the fallen leaves gets absorbed into the soil around the base of the tree, protecting the tree while it’s dormant and preventing competing plants from taking root.

Photo © copyright by Dr. Edward Mikol.

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