Sumac
By Joan Young, Contributing Writer
How often in the fall, even a fairly spectacular season like this one, have we yearned for more of the passionate, bright red color? Have you wondered why some trees turn red and others don’t?
The answer is found in leaf chemistry. I won’t make you balance any formulas or pronounce multi-syllabic words (well, I guess that was one, but it didn’t have parts like Dichlorophenoxyacetic ). Here’s the only tough word I’ll use: anthocyanin. Just break it down—antho means flower, cyan- you know that one- blue. To the Greeks it meant deep blue. Well, we have to fudge a little because in plants it turns out that antho-cyan-in is often not only responsible for blue colors, but purple (similar to blue, eh?) and red which makes some sense because blue and red make purple. Actually, the color range presented by the plant is dependent on the pH. Remember that term? The pH is a measure of the acid to base range. More acid (lower pH) results in reds. As the pH rises (the plant becomes more basic) colors change from pink to blue, purple, or black. Fruits from tomatoes (acidic) to blueberries (basic) have anthocyanin to thank.
Sassafras
In general, leaves are actually the color you see in the fall, but it is masked all summer by the greens of chlorophyll produced through photosynthesis. However, reds appear for a different reason. This is why, for example, sassafras usually turns yellow, but some years you will find bright red mitten leaves. The process that results in red begins in late summer as sugars in the leaf sap break down in the presence of light. It a complex process that neither you nor I have the patience to study. Well, I don’t any more. You can look it up if you want!
Which trees are likely to produce anthocyanins on a regular basis? Red maple quickly comes to mind. MI-42 from Mesick to Manton is a lovely drive in autumn. Its rolling hills are lined with flaming red. My best memory from an Agawa Canyon train ride, years ago, is of the solid red hillsides. New England is noted for up to 70% of trees producing anthocyanin, while in most areas, 10% is the norm.
Another reliable red can be found in sumacs, notably the staghorn and shining (winged) sumac. Most years, these small, bright trees define the edges of forests.
Two ornamental plants with red fall foliage that are on the invasive species hit list are burning bush (Euonymus alatus) and Bradford pear. A native choice to use instead of burning bush is Euonymus atropurpureus, the American wahoo. It is very similar in most respects. Scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea) is similar in size to Bradford pear, with more interesting foliage although it does not flower like the pear in spring.
Probably the standout red in autumn is found in the Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), a small tree of the American southeast. It can be grown in Michigan as an ornamental with some care in selecting the location.
Or, you can just leave the reds to nature and go for a walk or a drive to do some leaf peeping. Hope you catch the yellow, orange, russet, umber, plum and red joys of autumn.
Maple
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