Fall is a favorite time of year for many people. Cool nights, short days, football games and the fast approaching holidays are all signs of Summer coming to an end. It wouldn't be Fall in Northeast Georgia without the changing colors in our landscapes. It is the season finale to our long growing season before freezing temperatures and naked trees take over. Three questions you may ask yourself at this time of year are: Why do the leaves change color? Why is it different from year to year? And what plants will give me which Fall colors?

Let's start with why the leaves change colors. The temperature changes and the shorter day length that indicate to us that winter is approaching are also telling plants to make some changes. Chlorophyll is a pigment found in leaves that in addition to capturing sunlight and producing energy, also causes plants to display green during the growing season. As Fall approaches the climate changes tell the plants to stop producing chlorophyll and it also causes the existing chlorophyll to break down. This allows the other pigments present carotenoids and anthocyanin, to reveal their colors in an array of yellows, browns, oranges, reds, and purples. Different plants have different levels of these pigments present, some may not exist at all in some species which is why you have some plants that always turn yellow and other that may show yellow, orange, and red in a season.

Why is it different from year to year? The reason that you have such variation is that although the plant has the required pigments, there are outside factors that play a part in determining what type of display you'll get each season. Rainfall amounts in the summer and fall, previous drought conditions, nutrient levels, and warm clear days and cool nights are all important factors that influence color from year to year. If you are looking to maximize the color spectrum in the fall, choose plants with the reputation of desired fall colors. However, keep in mind that because of the influence of outside conditions, you may be in for some surprises from year to year. One thing to consider to increase your chance of having a somewhat predictable fall display, is by using cultivars instead of species plants. A cultivar is a plant that has been chosen for particular desirable traits, which may be growth habit, flowering, or fall color and are easily identified by the way their names are assigned. For example, October Glory Red Maple is a cultivar and is known for a full round canopy, and exceptional red fall color. The reason that cultivars are more consistent is because they are genetic copies of the parent plant that they are named for. A species or seedling plant is not a clone of a parent plant, it comes from seed which means you will get as much genetic variation as you see in human siblings. Just like children in our own families, each will each shine in their own way and no two will be exactly alike.

Below is a list of plants with nice Fall color that perform well in Georgia.