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Why do leaves change color and fall off trees in autumn? »

Posted by: engineer 11 months, 2 weeks ago

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That is a question to be asked every year at about this time. Leaves start falling in autumn (or the fall) when the days start to get shorter.

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Comments So Far: 13

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jordan1111 months, 2 weeks ago

Learned something new today. Bill Nye is great.
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  Teech11 months, 2 weeks ago
  
  Bill Nye is wrong! Everyone knows that Jack Frost paints them!
  The Easter Bunny told me.
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    jordan1111 months, 2 weeks ago
    
    Jack Frost. I just took a quick trip back to childhood in my mind. Awww...I loved those stories.
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GrainOfSand11 months, 2 weeks ago

Love it! Fall and spring are the best seasons! I got married in the fall.....ahhhhh.......
I've heard the peak seasons for leaf watching in the East will be early this year. And with the drought in the Southeast, it probably won't be as intense as previous years.
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  jordan1111 months, 2 weeks ago
  
  I too prefer 'fall and spring.' Our fall came early, with some turnings starting in August! (Seattle).
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  tiredofwhiners11 months, 2 weeks ago
  
  Mt. Charleston was snow capped last week. It still is today. That's an early fall in Las Vegas' higher elevations. Lower in the desert, the sagebrush and mesquite just stay brown all the time.
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texangelwings11 months, 2 weeks ago

Thanks engineer, great article! Science is so facinating.
The non-scientific reasons are to allow all lifeforms to prepare for winter and for people, it is a wonder trip to view the foliage. The view that is marvelious to the senses.
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mdvaldosta11 months, 2 weeks ago

Propeller - not only entertaining but also informative. Heh. That was interesting engineer.
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kayayurt11 months, 2 weeks ago

I also learned something new today.
Thanks
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BronxBomber11 months, 2 weeks ago

I love Spring m'self,the days are longer, just when the flowers are blooming, the bees are a buzzing, and the birds are a singin' good article btw. and thanks!
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tiredofwhiners11 months, 2 weeks ago

I lucked out in 1971 on a trip out east and it was one of the best fall colors they had in years (Vermont and New Hampshire). I picked up leaves and pressed them in books between kleenex. I now have some antique pressed colored leaves.
On another note, I recall that conifers have an "antifreeze" that prevent freezing and thus breaking of their cells. Deciduous trees don't have that and their leaves would have a problem in very cold weather.
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aceofspades111 months, 2 weeks ago

Wow if even Tiredofwhiners believes this science - it must be true!
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toph197311 months, 2 weeks ago

I'm wondering what happens in Hawaii? Do the trees go dormant? I'm thinking that the temps never really get cold enough. Days really wouldn't get short enough because they are so far south. Anyone know?
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