Forestry

  1. Home
  2. Education
  3. Forestry

Pictures of Favorite Fall Tree Foliage Color

By Steve Nix, About.com

1 of 9

Aspens in Fall Color

Aspens in Fall Color

Aspens in Fall Color

Zornes/Nix/About Forestry
Aspen is the most widely distributed tree species in North America, ranging from Alaska to Newfoundland and down the Rocky Mountains to Mexico. Interestingly, Utah and Colorado is home to the largest portion of the natural acreage of aspen in the World.
Here is the aspen range in North America.
Aspen stars in the greatest fall color show going west of the Mississippi River. As an aspen leaf's chlorophyll fades, a group of colored pigments called carotenoids show. Like chlorophyll, carotenoids are contained in the plastids, tiny structures in leaf cells. Carotenoids are the yellow we see each fall in aspens.

More Autumn Leaf Photos
What are Carotenoids and Plastids?
More on Quaking Aspen

Explore Forestry

About.com Special Features

Forestry

  1. Home
  2. Education
  3. Forestry
  4. Identifying Your Trees
  5. Tree Physiology
  6. Fall Foliage and Color
  7. Fall Tree Color Foliage Pictures

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.