ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, October 19, 1996 TAG: 9610210018
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: TRACI MULLENS SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
If the reds and yellows of autumn seem richer and more magnificent than usual this month, there's a reason.
The unusual amount of rain that fell on the New River Valley over the summer is having a positive effect on the leaf-color change, according to Professor John Seiler of the Virginia Tech forestry department.
The moisture has produced more sugar in the leaf to store carbohydrates. In late summer, a layer of cells forms around the stem of each leaf to reduce water and mineral intake to the leaf. This sometimes traps the sugar inside the leaf. The trapped sugar is transported by the sap to the rest of the tree, causing the leaves to turn red and purple. The brighter the light is from the sun during sugar transport, the more magnificent the color, Seiler said.
In mid-September it's common to see one red or yellow leaf hanging on a tree full of green ones. The temperature, moisture, chemical breakdown and stress on the leaves cause individual leaves to change color. This makes some people think the color season lasts for about six weeks, but the peak, Seiler said, is only about "one week, sometimes two weekends, October 12-13 and 19-20."
Maple leaves turn red and sycamore yellow because of the pigments in them. All leaves have the pigments chlorophyll (green), carotenoids (yellow and orange) and anthocyanins (red and purple). During the spring and summer, the green chlorophyll masks the other pigments. However, at the end of summer when the days get shorter, the chlorophyll breaks down and the other colors show through.
Maples are known for their brilliant red and purple colors produced by anthocyanins, while carotenoids produce brilliant yellow leaves on hickory, ash, yellow poplar, aspen, birch, black cherry, sycamore, cottonwood, sassafras and alder. When these two pigments mix, they produce deep orange, fiery red and blazing bronze leaves on oaks, maples, sweetgum, dogwood, sourwood, black gum and persimmon.
In addition to making fall beautiful, leaves have practical uses. Calamus leaves were used on the floors of homes for padding to sleep on, and people would enjoy their sweet scents. John Housel, owner of H&H Tree Service in Radford, remembers when people commonly used the leaves on a black cherry tree for cough syrup, and they'd bring sassafras leaves into their home for the pungent odor. "I still make my tea out of sassafras leaves," Housel said.
People also used to tell stories about the changing colors. The Micmac Indians of Eastern Canada saw red maple leaves in their constellations. They would look up into the sky during the latter part of summer and see a big bear crawl out of her cave and flee from hunters across the northern sky.
All of the hunters dropped out of the hunt except Robin, Chickadee and Moosebird. Robin caught up with the bear and killed her with an arrow. Her blood spattered the robin's chest, staining it red. As the bird flew over the earth, blood dripped down on the maples and turned them red.
The legends about leaves are beautiful, but the leaves are beautiful too, and they are all around the New River Valley. This year, some places to view the color changes are:
*Montgomery and Pulaski counties - From Radford take First Street to Virginia 605, take a right on Virginia 690 for a nice local view.
*Cascades Recreation Area - Off Virginia 623 in Giles County, reached from U.S. 460 in Pembroke. There is a small fee.
*Audie Murphy Monument - Off of Mount Tabor Road at the top of Brush Mountain, northeast of Blacksburg.
*Poverty Creek and Gap Mountain trails - near Pandapas Pond, off U.S. 460.
*Johns Creek Mountain Trail - Off Virginia 42, about eight miles north of Newport in Craig County.
For more information about the trails, recreation area and the Audie Murphy monument, call the U.S. Forest Service's Blacksburg District Ranger Station (540) 552-4641.
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