Fall is my favorite time of year and in my opinion, offers some of the best natural scenery the Carolinas has to offer. This year in particular, the trees were spectacular – showing shades from bright gold to deep maroon to bright reds.

According to most fall foliage followers, the peak of the season passed around mid-to-late October. Even if you didn’t get a chance to travel to the mountains, there were plenty of beautiful colors to see locally. Carolina tourism gets a boost in the fall from foliage watchers; millions are pumped into the states’ economy as people devote time to view this natural phenomenon.

But there are years where the leaves aren’t as vibrant. I’ve heard plenty of wives’ tales about why that happens, but it’s really all about biology, chemistry and metrology – proving that Mother Nature loved science.

And it’s more about the lack of color than more color.

The chemical pigment in the leaves, chlorophyll, allows sunlight to produce sugar and starches in the tree system. This is why leaves appear green. As the days get shorter, the tree halts the production of chlorophyll, and other chemical pigments present have their chance to shine.

The orange colors come from carotenes – the same ones found in pumpkins and carrots.  Yellow leaves? That’s xanthophylls, common to corn, egg yolks and sunflowers.

At some point in Mother Nature’s process, a wall of cells form where the leaf meets the tree, trapping the sugar in the leaf. That’s when anthocyanins are produced, which are responsible for the red shades. Tannins, also found in sweet tea, bring out the browns.

And if that’s not enough science for you, meteorology comes into play. Temperatures and rain in the spring – combined with sunny, mild autumn days – impact the tree’s natural process and ultimately, the colors and duration of fall foliage.

And to make things really interesting, Mother Nature gave each species of tree something unique, creating the beautiful kaleidoscope that is fall in the Carolinas.

While this year’s prime foliage season is waning, you can follow the colors next season by checking out the Leaf Peepers report at www.visitnc.com for North Carolina and www.southcarolinaparks.com for South Carolina.

I rarely think about the science; I just love the colors. Bright gold and deep russet are my favorites. What are yours?

By Susan Larkin (Vice President, Marketing and Public Relations) – Guest Blogger