3 weeks ago
Every year it feels like autumn is passing by quicker... 🍂
Do you know why do larch needles turn yellow and fall off? ℹ️
On trees the green color of chlorophyll masks the other pigments in a leaf during most of the year. In the autumn, though, when temperatures cool and daylight grows shorter, the chlorophyll is drawn into the tree (for saving nutrients to use later), leaving behind the other colors in the leaf. In the case of larches, it’s predominantly yellow.
This adaptation of storing nutrients and dropping their needles make larch trees well suited for our tough climate. For example, larch trees are less likely to lose branches from heavy snow loads, compared to evergreen trees that retain their needles. The ability to produce new needles every year also makes larch more resilient to insect and fire damage.
Isn’t nature amazing? 😃