Fall Color Highlighted By Reflection on Maine Lakes

Out and About for the Sebago Lakes Region of Maine Oct. 1-7
September 30, 2015
Out and About for the Bangor Lakes Regions of Maine Oct. 8-14
Out and About for the Bangor Lakes Regions of Maine Oct. 8-14
October 7, 2015

Fall Color Highlighted By Reflection on Maine Lakes

Fall Color Highlighted By Reflection on Maine Lakes

Autumn colors reflected on Kezar Lake, Lovell, Maine

Fall Color Highlighted By Reflection on Maine Lakes
by Leigh Macmillen Hayes
Maine lakefront property owners are fortunate to enjoy the fall array of colors twice—once on the trees themselves and a second time in the reflection on the water.

 

 

 

 

 


Did you ever wonder why leaves change color in the fall? If you think the answer is that Jack Frost causes the change, you need to think again. In fact, some leaves begin to turn before we even experience a frost.
Instead, consider the chemical process of a tree. During the spring and summer, the leaves function as the food factory for a tree. The pigment chlorophyll, which provides the green color, is found in a single leaf’s numerous cells. The chlorophyll absorbs energy from sunlight and uses it to transform carbon dioxide and water to carbohydrates—think sugar and starch.
Besides the green pigment, the leaf also contains yellow or orange carotenoids, which are masked by the greater amount of green coloring during the spring and summer.
In fall, however, less daylight and a drop in temperature (not enough necessarily to create a frosty coating) are signals to the leaf that it is time to shut down its food-making factory. As the chlorophyll begins to break down, the green color disappears. This allows the yellows to show through.
Simultaneously, other chemical changes may cause the formation of more pigments varying from yellow to red to maroon.
Perfect conditions for a brilliant display of reds? Warm sunny days and cool nights with temperatures below 45˚. The cooler night temps trap sugars made during the day, preventing them from moving to the tree. Once trapped, the sugars form the red pigment called anthocyanin.
While some trees, like quaking aspens, birch and hickory only show the yellow color, sugar maple leaves turn a brilliant orange or fiery red combined with yellow.
Oaks turn reddish-brown and beech leaves take on a golden-bronze hue.
Red or scarlet-leaved trees include red maple, silver maple, flowering dogwood, black tupelo, and sassafras.
As you know from standing on your lakefront property and taking in the dazzling display of color, the degree of coloration varies. It seems that leaves directly exposed to the sun may turn red, and those on the shady side yellow.
The other factor that determines the degree of coloration is the combination of weather conditions. Warm, cloudy, rainy fall weather means less red because the sugar escapes the leaves on warm nights.
As lakefront property owners, we are fortunate to live in an area covered by deciduous forests with broad-leaved trees and favorable weather conditions. Click here to learn check the state’s foliage status.
To learn more about lakefront properties for sale on Kezar Lake in Lovell, click on the green box above.
To learn more about Kezar Lake and the Lovell area, check out the blog links below.
Kezar Lake, Lovell, Maine: Pristine Lakefront with Stunning Mountain Views
Lake Kezar Country Club a Gem of a Golf Club Next to Kezar Lake in Lovell, Maine
Ebenezer’s Pub in Lovell, Maine – Where Kezar Lakers Go For Beer and Hospitality

 

Stay Informed

Get the latest lake news delivered direct from Maine’s lake expert, Tom Ferent