October 13…Tulip tree is still holding on, but more colored leaves can be seen. The sun is lower on the horizon as can be seen by the shadow on the left side.
The blue sky is disappearing tomorrow for a while. It’s been so good to get sunshine this late in the season, but that’s coming to an end soon.
These leaves are starting to lose their chlorophyll enabling the other colors to be visible.
Why do leaves change color in the autumn?
According to Garden at School, “Basically, leaves are made up of several components that affect their color. Chlorophyll is the part of the leaf that gives it its green color, and its presence is so strong that it can cover up the color of the other components of the leaf. In the fall, trees sense that the days are becoming shorter and the weather is cooler. As a result, it stops sending up water and energy to the leaves and so the chlorophyll dies. Once the chlorophyll is gone, the other colors can shine through.”
A few leaves have dropped. Not enough to rake up yet, but it won’t be too long. I’m actually looking forward to getting this valuable treasure for my garden.
I’ve been ‘following’ this seed pod trying to be there when it opens. I’m beginning to doubt that it will open. But if it does, I’d like to plant the seeds just for fun.
New leaves are still forming, so this tree is not ready to call it quits just yet.
Adventures in Natural Beekeeping 