KANSAS CITY, Mo. – This time each year, the trees in Missouri transform from green to all the vibrant fall colors. But have you ever wondered what it is that makes the leaves change?
Missouri’s Department of Conservation said there’s many factors that play into when and how the transformation occurs.
Community Forrester Wendy Sangster says the weather we've had in early October is perfect for the leaves to start changing.
“If the sun comes out during the day and then it gets really cool at night, that’s ideal,” Sangster said.
But if the temperatures drop too fast, it could ruin the whole transformation.
“We don’t want freezing. If we get a frost then we’re done. So we want it to be cool but not too cool.”
Temperature isn’t the only factor involved -- there’s also some interesting biology to the process.
“The yellow leaves are created differently than the reds are,” Sangster said. “The yellows are the chlorophyll -- which is the green going away for the season. It goes to the roots to give the tree energy.”
Sangster said the yellow color is always there, but it only shows once the green is gone for the season.
“The reds are created by those sunny days that create sugars in the leaves. Then they get trapped by the cool nights,” Sangster explained.
Location can also play a factor.
“There’s something called the 'heat island effect', and that’s where there’s so much paved surface and rooftops, it’s actually warmer in the urban area than it is in the more rural areas," Sangster explained. “So, our fall colors are different right in the city than they are even in the suburbs.
With this year’s weather around the metro, Sangster said it’s hard to predict what this season will bring. She said all of the moisture we’ve had over the last several months caused fungal disease on some leaves which made them turn brown and fall off trees prematurely.
But, ultimately, trying to predict what the season will bring is close to impossible.
“We make our best guess about what it’s going to be like, but we can be wrong very easily,” Sangster said. “All of the sudden it’s like wait, we were supposed to have a really good fall color... and we don’t, or vice versa.”
According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, prime time for fall leaves in this area is mid-October. If you want to see the ideal time at specific locations, you can click here. Every week in the fall, Sangster writes an update on the best locations around Kansas City.
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