![]() We encourage you to look out for these signs of autumn in your local area: Autumn is definitely a period of change in many ways but it is still a great time to get out into the Surrey countryside. Some people will be welcoming the autumn vibes after the long hot summer we’ve had here in the UK and of course, it heralds the start of the new school term for many families. Officially, the Met Office define autumn as the 1st of September to ensure that dates can be compared easily when it comes to meteorological data. These chemicals (carotenoids) are also the same ones that give carrots their orange tone!Īutumn (when defined by planet earth’s orbit around the sun) is said to begin on the equinox which falls this year on Friday 23rd September. The chemicals left in the leaves are types of flavonoids, carotenoids and anthocyanins and are responsible for the autumn colours that we know so well. The tree simply takes a break from this task for a few months and in doing so, protects itself from freezing weather so it can reawaken in the spring.Īs chlorophyll declines, other chemicals become more prominent in the leaves. When the days are short on sunlight it would be a drain for deciduous trees to keep their leaves, which need to be pumped with water. ![]() The chemical chlorophyll is an important part of photosynthesis but during the winter months, there is not enough light for this process to happen.Īs they enter the early stages of dormancy, trees effectively shut down this food production system and shed their leaves to conserve water. The reds, oranges and yellows we then see appearing have actually been there all along, just hidden by the green pigment for the spring and summer months. The colder temperatures and lower levels of light actually destroy the chlorophyll in the leaves and the chlorophyll is the pigment that makes leaves green. Most people will know that this change signals autumn, but what you might not know is that the reason the leaves actually become more red and yellow is down to disappearing chlorophyll. From the bright and vivid greens we see the change to reds, ambers and yellows that everyone recognises as the end of the summer months. ![]() Autumn is synonymous with the changing colour palette of the leaves on our deciduous trees. ![]()
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