(FOX 2) - We all love this time of year -- when it seems like the leaves are peaking with the perfect fall color.
But FOX 2's Derek Kevra noticed something interesting. It was a tree changing color from the top-down, red at the top, orange in the middle and green at the bottom.
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Michigan’s immaculate fall colors are dipping into the lower peninsula
If you haven't poked your head outside in the last 89 days, you probably haven't noticed the changing spectrum of colors being painted across Michigan's foliage. The canvas that is Michigan trees is a sight to behold, and it's now on display for all to see.
There's some science behind it. As the temperatures start to cool down, trees start preparing for the dormant winter season. As they do this, the chlorophyll in the leaves, which in the summer keeps them nice and green, starts to dwindle. This means that other leaf pigments can "win the battle," so to speak, and change to yellow, orange or red.
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The leaves at the top of the tree change first simply due to their distance from the roots. They are the furthest away, meaning any last nutrients don't get all the way up there.
Additionally, since the tops of the trees are closer to the sunlight, they get more of it. But when we start changing into the fall, and we get less sunlight -- that's a double whammy.