The yellow and orange were there all along, but they were invisible to us. The green color produced by the chlorophyll through photosynthesis was hiding the other colors from our eyes. But they were there. They were waiting to be noticed.
 |
| The immortal tree. |
Then the days got shorter, and the tree sensed that it was
time. The photosynthesis stopped because
of the change in light. The chlorophyll
disappeared, and the yellow and orange that were hidden for so very long came
screaming out. That’s when we say, “The
leaves are starting to turn.” And turn,
they do. Then any glucose that was left
in the leaves is turned into a brilliant red (and sometimes even purple!) color
by the sun and the cooler night temperatures.
Suddenly the tree is awash in brilliant red, yellow, and
orange, most of which was there all along.
It makes you wonder how many other things in nature are hiding from
us. How many other things could be
revealed if only we could “see” the proper way or take a small veil away?
Finally, comes the brown color. That is from any wastes left within the
leaves. The leaves then die, having fed
the tree through photosynthesis all summer long. The tree will go to sleep now and survive the
winter on its hoarded supply of energy.
If no one rakes them up, the leaves will decompose and place the very
minerals the tree favors most right back into the soil all around it. In future years, the roots will pull these
very same minerals right back into the tree again in a never ending cycle. Clearly, trees are immortal.
