Camp Dates

At camp this fall, we have a remarkable number of BRIGHT red Aspen. This is unusual, as most of our Aspen tend to be the standard “gold and amazing” types. So what factors are present this fall to create such a remarkable color display?

The timing of leaf coloring til leaf fall is dependent on the increasing length of night. As the days grow shorter, a tree’s biochemical process shifts and its production of chlorophyll slows and eventually ceases. As the leaf’s chlorophyll is used up by the tree, other color pigments—carotenoids and anthocyanins—become visible. According to the USDA Forest Service site, “Both chlorophyll and carotenoids are present in the chloroplasts of leaf cells throughout the growing season. Most anthocyanins are produced in the autumn, in response to bright light and excess plant sugars within leaf cells.”

Carotenoids are responsible for the yellows, golds, oranges and browns in both leaves and in corn, carrots, bananas, and buttercups. Anthocyanins give cranberries, plums, cherries, blueberries, and strawberries their distinct hues. Typically, a tree’s fall color doesn’t vary much from year to year…but this year, we have had a number of unique factors that have contributed to our beautiful display.

1. Exceptionally dry spring and early summer; all of our trees were highly stressed during that period.
2. Good rainfall beginning in late summer and early; leaves began producing sugars like crazy to support the renewed growth potential of the trees.
3. A succession of many warm, sunny days and very cool, crisp evenings.

Though more anecdotal than scientific, we DO think that the Aspen leaves at camp have more sugars in them than they normally would at this point in the fall because of both the late rains and the very warm days. Anthocyanins are produced during these “lots of sugar lots of light” conditions—and then, with the very cool evenings, the veins of the leaves gradually close—leaving behind the gorgeous reds, and purples of the anthocyanin pigments. Additionally, because of the late rains, the Aspen seem to be a little behind schedule…it is almost October and many Aspen are still completely green.

It is almost as though the trees are celebrating this gorgeous end of summer and early fall–and trying to postpone the inevitable long, cold winter days ahead. We hope YOU will continue the celebration with us at our annual Sanborn Reunion on Oct. 13th-16th. Together, we will enjoy these beautiful fall days and the successful completion of our Sanborn 60 Capital Campaign.

The Aspen will be blazing the trail home. Hope to see you in October.

Tags: fall leaf colors, leaf pigments, Sanborn Alum Reunion, why aspen trees turn red

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 28th, 2011 at 5:23 pm and is filed under Children and Nature, Education, Nature Activity, Outdoor Education, Sanborn Western Camps, Summer Camp for Kids, alum event, summer camp in Colorado. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.