The red, orange and yellow colors of the trees signal the arrival of Fall. It may be seen early this year or may not be seen at all.
The dramatic summer weather is reflected in these colors across Canada. This summer has caused wildfires and heavy rains in some parts of the country.
Summer in Nova Scotia started with wildfires and ended with cloudy and stormy weather. At this time the bright spots in Nova Scotia were replaced by greyish browns. This used to be common in most parts of the province.
The color of the trees I’m seeing this fall is nothing like the bright reds and oranges so common in Nova Scotia. This year what is seen is a massive amount of dull colors. Even the red color is not that bright. I have heard this from many people. This is especially true of people living in the southern part of Nova Scotia.
As the nights are long in Hemante, the trees get very less sunlight. And the chlorophyll that plants use to absorb sunlight during photosynthesis begins to break down and exhibit leaf pigment. One of these pigments is anthocyanins, which cause red streaks in leaves. It requires uninterrupted sunlight in late summer to thrive. Depletion of anthocyanins is not harmful to plants. The bright red returns to full bloom the following summer if there is enough sun.
