What Influences the Color of Leaves?

September 1st marks the start of meteorological autumn, though the astronomical start to autumn “falls” on the Equinox, which is either on or around September 23rd. While this may be the case when you look at a calendar, the start of fall varies depending on your location. One of the visual ways to see this change in season from summer to fall is by the looking at the fall foliage.

The yellows, oranges, reds, and browns that define fall are influenced by:

  • Leaf Pigments (coloring)
  • Changes in the Length of Day
  • Temperature and Precipitation