The Science of Autumn, Part the First
A couple of years ago, a botanist emailed Cory some nifty insights into why some leaves on a vine maple turn red and others yellow, and still others a mix of both. Go read that again first, then come back here, because it provides some good background information. Since then, it seems, scientists have been able to add to our understanding of leafy color change--particularly when it comes to answering the broader question of why some tree species tend toward yellow and why others tend toward red.
One thing I'm curious about, after reading this, does Europe really have less red leaves in Autumn than the U.S.? I'd never heard that before...
Image copyright John Bennett and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
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Maggie Koerth-Baker
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