October is personal favorite month of the year at Old Orchard Beach because the beach waves pick up a bit, the wind is warm and cool all at the same time, and the leaves start to change all around. It also has been a personal wonderment of mine why leaves change color. I knew that coolness had something to do with it but I had no idea the dynamics of it all.
What is interesting is it is the length of night that determines the process. Temperature and rainfall have a little to do with it as well, but the length of night is what really determines the color of the leaves changing.
As the nights become longer the chlorophyll in the leaves starts to slow down. With less chlorophyll there is less green in the leaves and eventually no chlorophyll is left. Chlorophyll is the leaf’s food. The elements that become unmasked are carotenoids and anthocyanin which give the different colors of leaves. Carotenoids give the leaves their yellow color and anthocyanin gives them red.
The weather during the time the green is fading out of the leaves has direct correlation with just how brilliant the color changes. If there is a succession of warm, sunny days and cool, crisp nights it seems to be the most brilliant. What happens is the chlorophyll moves slowly out of the leaves instead of suddenly. If a freeze happens this depletes the chlorophyll rapidly. It’s really that simple why leaves change!
The perfect blend of sunny days and crisp nights brings out more reds in the trees. The yellow leaves tend to stay the same year to year meaning it is rarer to see reds than yellows.
Moisture in the soil also has an impact on the brilliance of the color of leaves. If there is too much moisture in the spring it can affect the impact of brightness of the leaves. A drought during the summer can delay the change of colors by a few weeks.
To get the best autumn colors you would need a warm wet spring, a favorable summer, warm sunny days, and cool nights. If predictions could be made, this fall could be a brilliant one!
Trees that produce yellow, golden, and brown leaves are hickories, yellow-poplar, black maple, and beech. The trees that produce red leaves are oaks, sourwood and black tupelo, red maple and finally dogwood trees produce a purple-red color. The sugar maple tree produces orange-red leaves.
Keep in mind there are some species that stay green, and some become brown. The green species simply have some chlorophyll left to still produce food and those that are brown are those that have no chlorophyll left at all.
The last week of September and first two weeks in October should be the time to see the colors of autumn and are the perfect time to visit Old Orchard Beach and stay at the Alouette Beach Resort! For the fall foliage map click on this link:
Maine Fall Foliage – When and Where to Visit – Maine DACF
It cannot be expressed in words how beautiful it is here in Old Orchard Beach during the fall! It’s the best of both worlds when you take a little hike on the Eastern Trail or in Ocean Park in Guild Park and then rise early to see the sunrise over the beach.
For your fall foliage travels we hope to see you here at the Alouette Beach Resort for your restful, cozy, and peaceful time in Autumn!
All the Best from the staff of the Alouette.
