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August 31, 2006
OHIO’S BRIGHT, FALL COLORS ARE A MATTER OF SCIENCE!
 What makes Ohio such a special (and colorful) place in the autumn? A combination of long, cool nights and short, sunny days in mid-to-late September brings on a chemical change in the leaves of many trees that cause them to explode with a mixture of colors.
Decreasing amounts of sunlight in the fall trigger a chemical reaction in the leaves of hickory, birch and beech trees that causes them to turn various shades of yellow, brown and orange. These colors, called carotenoids, were present in the leaves all along, but were hidden by green chlorophylls during the spring and summer.
Additional shades of red and purple, called anthocyanin pigments, develop in late summer in the sap cells of tree leaves that are rich in sugar, including maples, oaks, sweetgums and dogwoods.
In woodlands where there are trees rich in carotenoids and anthocyanins, the combination of fiery reds, golds and bronzes can light up a vista, creating the typical autumn landscape so familiar to Ohioans.
Add to that the fact that Ohio has more than 100 species of trees growing in the state, creating a rich variety of colors and textures that make woodlands so vibrant during most of October.
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