Have you checked out these 9 kinds of autumn leaf trees this fall?

This fall, which popular tourist spots suitable for enjoying the red leaves have you visited?

People have long loved appreciating autumn leaves. As early as more than a thousand years ago, the poet Du Mu left behind the wonderful autumn appreciation line "The stone path is slanting up the cold mountain, and there are houses deep in the white clouds. I stop the car and sit to enjoy the maple forest in the evening, the frosted leaves are redder than the flowers in February." There are also poems such as "The red leaves on the west mountain are beautiful, and the color becomes more intense when the frost is heavy" and "The Chinese tallow trees still compete for the red color in the sunset" that describe the beautiful scene of autumn red leaves.

Acer palmatum, photo source: Liu Xia

In autumn, in addition to the red-leafed trees that cover the mountains and forests, we often see trees with yellow leaves, such as ginkgo and tulip trees. These trees, whose leaves turn from green to purple, red, orange, yellow and other colors after frost in autumn, and whose entire crowns appear bright and ornamental, are collectively called autumn-colored leaf trees .

In addition to the well-known ginkgo and red maple, common autumn-leaf tree species in China include cotinus coggygria, Pistacia chinensis, maple, Tung tree, and Sapindus mukorossi.

Ginkgo biloba, Image source: Liu Xia

01

Red, yellow, purple

How to dye the leaves?

Perhaps you have already started to wonder why ginkgo leaves turn yellow and maple leaves turn red? In fact, the answer has long been found in ancient poetry: "The autumn wind rises and white clouds fly, the grass and trees turn yellow and the wild geese fly south." The color change of leaves in autumn is related to the change of seasons.

Research has found that the yellow leaves of trees in autumn are mainly caused by changes in the carotenoid content in chloroplasts. Under natural conditions, chlorophyll is extremely unstable, but the synthesis rate is fast. The ratio of chlorophyll to carotenoids in mature leaves during the growing season is 8:1, and the leaves appear green. After autumn, the temperature drops, chlorophyll synthesis slows down and decomposition speeds up, while carotenoid decomposition slows down and the relative content increases, so the leaves show the yellow color of carotenoid pigments.

The red color of leaves in autumn is mostly caused by changes in the content of anthocyanins and chlorophyll. The temperature drops and the chlorophyll content decreases. In order to resist the cold, plants synthesize more sugars, which are conducive to the formation of anthocyanins in the leaves. Anthocyanins in the leaves turn red when they encounter acidic substances.

There is another interesting phenomenon. There are many types of autumn-colored foliage trees in China, and the time when the leaves change color is different. Generally speaking, the autumn-colored foliage trees in the north turn red and yellow earlier than those in the south, and those in the mountains turn red and yellow earlier and in darker colors than those in the mountains. This is related to the vast territory of China, the different mountainous terrains, and the large temperature changes with latitude and altitude.

02

The names of these autumn-leaved trees

How many can you name?

Now that we understand the principles of autumn leaf tree color change, let’s get to know the common autumn leaf tree species around us:

1. Ginkgo

Yellow-leaved tree. A tall tree, Ginkgo biloba has fan-shaped leaves, which is very unique among seed plants. It has a high ornamental value and is often used as a garden plant and street tree.

Ginkgo biloba, Image source: Liu Xia

2. Liriodendron tulipifera

Yellow-leaved tree. A rare plant endemic to China, a large deciduous tree. Its leaves turn golden yellow in autumn, and it is named "Ma Gua Mu" because of its leaf shape like a Ma Gua. Its flowers are shaped like tulips, so it is called "Chinese tulips". It is also a precious street tree and garden ornamental tree.

Liriodendron tulipifera, Image source: Veer Gallery

Image source: China Plant Image Library

3. Soapberry

Yellow-leaved tree. Other names: wood-pinnate, oil-pinnate, bitter-sick tree, ghost-seeing sorrow, etc. Deciduous tree, simple pinnate compound leaves, leaflets opposite; terminal inflorescence, spherical drupe, orange-yellow when ripe, then dark brown. It likes light and is cold-resistant, with strong resistance to sulfur dioxide, and is often the first choice for ecological greening in industrial cities.

Soapberry, Image source: Liu Xia

4. Pistacia

Autumn-colored foliage tree. Deciduous tree with alternate even-pinnate compound leaves, 5-7 pairs of leaflets, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate. Leaves can turn orange-yellow or bright red in autumn, while drupes mature to purple-red or orange-yellow, which can remain until late autumn. Suitable as a garden shade tree and mountain landscape tree.

Pistacia chinensis, Image source: China Plant Image Library

5. Chinese tallow tree

Red-leafed tree. It is a deciduous tree with rhombus-shaped, rhombus-ovate or rarely rhombus-obovate leaves. Its leaves are bright red in spring and autumn, earning it the reputation of "the Chinese tallow tree is redder than the maple tree, and the garden is in February". It can be used as a embankment tree, a garden shade tree and a street tree in garden greening, and has an excellent landscaping effect.

Chinese tallow tree, picture source: China Landscape Architecture Network

6. Cotinus coggygria

The red-leaf tree species attracts countless tourists to visit Beijing's Xiangshan Mountain to see the red leaves. It is green in summer and turns red in autumn, greatly enriching the color of the garden landscape. Large-scale planting will create a more beautiful scene. It is the preferred tree species for northern gardens or mountain greening, and is also an important ornamental red-leaf tree species in China.

Cotinus coggygria, Image source: Liu Xia

7. Acer triangularis

Red-leaved tree, also known as Acer truncatum. Acer is a deciduous tree that likes light and tolerates shade. The leaves are palmately 3-lobed, with an elliptical or obovate base and a sharp tail-shaped tip. The autumn leaves are dark red or orange. It is suitable for garden shade trees, roadside trees and bank protection trees, and can also be planted as hedges.

Acer triangularis, image source: China Plant Image Library

8. Maple

Acer truncatum is a tree with autumn leaves. It is also called Acer truncatum. It is a deciduous tree with palmate 5-lobed leaves. The base of the leaves is often heart-shaped and the tip is tail-shaped and sharp. It is a temperate tree that tolerates shade and prefers weak light. Its leaves turn bright yellow or red in autumn. It is suitable as a garden shade tree, street tree and landscape tree.

Acer truncatum, photo source: Liu Xia

9. Acer palmatum

Red-leafed tree, also known as seven-cornered maple. It is a small deciduous tree with an umbrella-shaped crown, nearly round leaves, heart-shaped or nearly heart-shaped base, palm-shaped, often 7 deep lobes, densely serrated. The leaves are beautiful and turn bright red in autumn. It is an excellent foliage tree. The Japanese maple is a precious ornamental native tree species in gardens and is often used to create a landscape of "a touch of red in the green".

Acer palmatum, photo source: Liu Xia

Now that you know so many species of trees with autumn leaves, you might as well pick up your camera, bask in the bright sunshine, and use your camera to record the charm of autumn leaves and freeze the melody of autumn before winter truly arrives.

Produced by | Science Popularization China

Author｜Liu Xia (Core Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Producer｜China Science Expo

Submitted by: Computer Information Network Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences

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