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Autumn Brook
Photograph by Olegas Kurasovas, My Shot
The banks of a rushing brook are littered with colorful leaves in a spectacular scene of the fall season. Shortening days signal the coming of cold weather to broadleaf trees. Unable to protect their leaves from the chill they shed them after extracting the foliage's essential nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorous.
Before leaves fall in autumn they treat peepers to riotous color displays—but most of them don’t “change” color. Natural pigments called carotenoids, which produce yellow, brown, and orange hues, are always present in leaves. During the growing (and photosynthesis) season they are masked by green chlorophyll.
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Flatiron Football Sunset
Photograph by Alex Benison, Your Shot
As the University of Colorado Buffaloes do battle on the football field, the real spectacle is taking place outside the stadium. The setting sun lights up the evening sky with an incredible palette of autumn color before it drops behind the Flatirons in the Front Range of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.
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Equinox Flowers
Photograph by Danuta Lacka, My Shot
In Japan the colorful blooming of Lycoris flowers peaks around the period of the autumn equinox, so the plant is named equinox flower or Higanbana. The equinox is a Buddhist holiday in Japan, and the flowers are commonly seen in cemeteries to honor ancestors who have made the transition from this Earthly world. Rice farmers employ the plants for a more practical use—their poisonous bulbs are meant to keep mice and other pests out of crops.
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Cooperstown Bridge
Photograph by Robert Madden, National Geographic
The placid waters and colorful foliage of Cooperstown, New York, frame a bucolic fall retreat. This scene may appear timeless, but a number of ever-changing environmental variables like temperatures and soil moisture ensure that no two autumns are exactly alike when it comes to Mother Nature’s color palette.
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Rooftop Leaf
Photograph by Kalle Mustonen, My Shot
A single red maple leaf rests on a Finnish roof. The recipe for red leaves appears to be a stretch of warm, sunny days punctuated by cool (but above freezing) nights. This most popular of leaf colors is also the most variable. Unlike yellow or orange colors, always present but often invisible in leaves, red-colored anthocyanin pigments are produced during the fall season itself. Scientists aren’t sure why, but suspect the process is meant to protect leaves just a bit longer by serving as antifreeze, insect repellent, or sunscreen.
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Natagiri Pass Path
Photograph by Michael S. Yamashita, National Geographic
Brilliant autumn sunshine and an inviting carpet of colorful leaves entice walkers ever-upward along a path on Japan’s Natagiri Pass. Those taking this trail follow in the footsteps of the great poet Matsuo Basho, who traveled it in 1689. Readers of his backcountry journal, Narrow Road to a Far Province, have sought the path ever since.
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Maine River Gorge
Photograph by Sam Abell, National Geographic
The West Branch of the Pleasant River in Maine tumbles through a rocky gorge lined with trees sporting evergreen needles and cloaked in fall color. Here at remote Gulf Hagas, the river tumbles down a series of waterfalls to drop more than 400 feet (122 meters) over four miles (6.5 kilometers).
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Floating Leaves and Needles
Photograph by Sam Abell, National Geographic
A colorful collection of leaves and needles floats on the surface of the West Branch of the Pleasant River at Gulf Hagas, Maine. This remote gorge, Maine’s “Grand Canyon,” is deep within the 100-Mile Wilderness and accessible to hikers on the Appalachian Trail. Because of its obvious attractions, fall is among the most popular times to hike in New England.
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Fall in Paradise Valley
Photograph by Annie Griffiths, National Geographic
The Yellowstone River flows past banks aglow with golden fall color as it makes its way through Montana’s Paradise Valley. The area is known for world-class fly fishing, but also rewards those who simply wish to soak in the scenery. Emigrant Peak, part of the Absaroka mountain range, provides a towering backdrop to an iconic scene of autumn in the American West.
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Hagi Garden
Photograph by Sam Abell, National Geographic
A pond of colorful koi mirrors the fall foliage of a delightful private garden in Hagi, on Japan’s Honshu Island. Japanese cherish the season of Kouyou, or “changing colors,” just as much as their better-known spring cherry blossom festivals. The country’s most colorful trees include the Japanese maple, the ginkgo, and, of course, the cherry.
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Finnish Maple Leaves
Photograph by Kalle Mustonen, My Shot
A pile of fallen maple leaves catches a few rays of extra color from a sunset in Finland. Days grow short quickly during the Finnish fall, but fading light and frosty weather combine to create a spectacular foliage display during the months of September and October.
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White Mountains and Colorful Canopy
Photograph by Michael S. Yamashita, National Geographic
New Hampshire’s White Mountains live up to their name as a beautiful white snowfall on the high peaks contrasts with a colorful canopy of fall leaves below. The dusting presents a reminder that in this season of plentiful harvests and striking beauty, the chill of winter is not far behind.
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