PENNSYLVANIA, USA — The most colorful time of the year is almost here, as more and more leaves change from green to yellows, reds, oranges and more
The change in colors is creating beautiful landscapes across our area.
We wanted to showcase them, and share them with you!
If you have a picture you'd like to submit to our FOX43 Fall Foliage Gallery, email us at news@fox43.com with your name and the location of your picture.
You can also submit your photos via our Facebook and Twitter pages, and you can even text FOX43 News at 717-843-0043!
Here is our FOX43 Fall Foliage Gallery for 2020:
FOX43 Fall Foliage Gallery 2020
The reason the trees go through this process is pretty simple.
"Over the years, plants have adapted themselves to sense when the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer, because what's going to follow that are the snow and ices. They want to lose their leaves before they come," Dr. Christopher Hardy, a biology professor and Curator of the Millersville University Herbarium said.
It's truly an act of self-preservation through evolution.
"If they get caught with an early snow or ice, those leaves provide a lot of surface area. All that snow and ice is gonna weigh down the branches considerably," Dr. Hardy said.
The reduction of the amount of daylight is the primary catalyst for why trees lose their leaves. But, it can also be affected by other factors, especially temperature and drought.
"Dryness is something that stresses plants. Leaves are a big liability when it comes to water loss," Dr. Hardy said.
However, what affects the specific colors that we see? Turns out, as long as we don't have a drastic drought in the summer with close-to-usual temperatures, most of the year only plays a minor factor. However, late August and September prove crucial.
"If we have some cooler temperatures and drier weather as we approach the fall, then that will accelerate leaf drop," Dr. Hardy said.