Article 3Z2Z7 Long hot summer means we should enjoy spectacular autumn colour

Long hot summer means we should enjoy spectacular autumn colour

by
Prof Alistair Griffiths
from on (#3Z2Z7)

Plenty of sunshine is needed to bring out the intense reds and yellows from the leaves, and this year we're set for a dazzling display

Autumn colour is perhaps the most striking of nature's seasonal displays, but the vividness of the annual spectacle is largely dependent on good environmental conditions. This year, following a fine summer and with an Indian summer predicted, we look to be on course for a dazzling display that could trump recent years and extend well into November.

Shorter daylight hours and colder nights are what trigger leaf drop - or senescence - but frost, like rain, can damage leaves and cause early leaf fall. Plenty of sunshine is needed to encourage concentrations of colour pigments which help to intensify leaf colour.

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