Kilcullen Diary: I've Been Thinking ...

DID YOU KNOW?

We get colourful autumn colours because shortening days trigger a reaction in deciduous trees that creates a protective barrier between the tree and its leaves, to ensure the tree is not exposed to disease when the leaves fall. Sugars produced by photosynthesis within the leaves, which would usually be transported into the tree, are trapped in the leaves, and daytime sunlight and cool nights cause the leaves to turn the sugars into a red pigment, anthocyanin, which provides the autumn colours.