Following the Foliage: How Leaves Change Color and Inspire Artistry at Smith
- The Catalyst Writers
- Nov 2
- 4 min read
While walking through Smith College campus the past few weeks, you may have noticed a change in scenery. The leaves of many trees, previously in various shades of green, have started to turn into brilliant hues of yellow, orange, brown, and red. This shift in nature signifies the transition from summer to fall, and in regions like New England, it brings people from all over the world to see its beauty. But have you ever stopped and wondered what is happening and why?
During the summer months, leaves produce large amounts of a green pigment called chlorophyll, which absorbs light energy for its conversion into chemical energy as a part of a process called photosynthesis. However, though it may seem that only chlorophyll is being produced by the leaf, this is not true. Many other pigments perform a variety of functions, such as yellow-orange carotenoids and flavonoids. However, since a tree prioritizes chlorophyll production during the summer, these other pigments are masked by the sheer amount of chlorophyll present.
As summer comes to an end, shorter days and cooler nights mean there is less sunlight for the chlorophyll to absorb. In response to this, trees stop producing chlorophyll molecules and begin to store as many nutrients as possible to sustain themselves through the coming winter months. Some trees also begin to produce new pigments in place of chlorophyll, such as anthocyanins that give rise to purple and red colors. Thus, with this decrease in chlorophyll, other pigments in the leaf are given their time to shine, and this is why leaves change color.
Throughout the many seasons that have passed in Massachusetts, painters and artists have also noticed and been inspired by the changes in colors. Take, for instance, previous Smith art professor Dwight Tryon’s artworks– now preserved in the Smith College Museum of Art. In his pastel drawing “Autumn Landscape”, dated back to the 19th century, Tryon depicts a line of large trees along the horizon. These trees are colored predominantly in an orange-red hue, signifying their shift to warmer colors as chlorophyll decreases.
Many tree species are known for their distinct color changes, with aspen, cottonwood, and birch turning bright yellow and oak turning to a brown or red. Maple species also display a range of colors, with some turning a brilliant scarlet and others a blood orange. Also, not all trees change color – conifers, such as pines, spruces, or firs, remain green year-round. The trees that do change color in the fall are known as deciduous.
Coincidentally, Dwight Tryon may also be partially responsible for the many Japanese woodcut prints of autumn foliage by Hiroshige acquired by the Smith College Museum. One such print, entitled “Inside Akiba Shrine, Ukeji, No. 91, from One Hundred Famous Views of Edo”, depicts green pine and red maple trees from August 1857. These maples were likely at their most vivid shades of red and orange when Hiroshige was capturing their beauty. In contrast, the pines are as green as ever, since these trees are of the type to retain their same color throughout the whole year.
As pigments fade and colors change, the leaves must eventually fall from the tree. To prepare for this, the tree develops a layer of cells at the base of the leaf stem. This layer gradually severs the tissues that attach the leaf, causing the leaf to separate from its branch. Once this separation occurs, the tree seals the cut, and a “leaf scar” is left behind. Once all of the leaves have been shed from a tree, it will go into a state of dormancy for the rest of the winter until the weather warms and the cycle can begin again.
Although autumn colors are fleeting, your inspiration for artistic creation can last all year. If you want to participate in this seasonal phenomenon, you can preserve your favorite leaves at home following these simple instructions:
Supplies:
Two sheets of paper, textbooks, or weights.
Steps:
1) Place your leaves between two sheets of paper and place them under a stack of your textbooks. The more weight used, the faster the drying process will be.
2) Leave the leaves for five days or until they are completely dry. This same method can be applied to other types of flora and may serve you well this coming Spring.
Now that you have an understanding of the processes responsible for fall foliage, take a moment to observe your surroundings next time you walk through Smith College campus. Consider the magnificent shifting autumn colors, picking up a few fallen leaves scattered by your feet, and how this special time can inspire you to explore, hypothesize, or create.
By Eliza Connors, Natalie Fierro, and Olivia Voltaggio
References
Autumn Splendor: Why Do Leaves Change Color in the Fall? (2017, November 8). Smithsonian Science Education Center. https://ssec.si.edu/stemvisions-blog/autumn-splendor-why-do-leaves-change-color-fall
Brown, C. (2023, October 15). Why do leaves change colors? Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa. https://conservationcorps.org/updates-stories/why-do-leaves-change-colors/
Forestry and Land Scotland. “Press Play: How to Preserve Leaves and Plants.” Government of Scotland, 5 Dec. 2019, https://forestryandland.gov.scot/blog/pressing-autumn-leaves.
Grounds subject files, Smith College Archives, CA-MS-00137, Smith College Special Collections, Northampton, Massachusetts. https://findingaids.smith.edu/repositories/4/archival_objects/7936
Hiroshige. (1857). Inside Akiba Shrine, Ukeji, No. 91, from One Hundred Famous Views of Edo [Woodcut printed in color on paper]. Five Colleges and Historic Deerfield Museum Consortium. https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=SC+1968.385
Tryon, D. W. (n.d.). Autumn Landscape [Pastel and black chalk on gray composition board]. Five Colleges and Historic Deerfield Museum Consortium. https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=SC+1930.3.153
Why do fall leaves change color? (2025, October 13). UW-La Crosse. https://www.uwlax.edu/currents/why-do-fall-leaves-change-color/
Why Leaves Change Color. (2025). State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. https://esfwww.omniweb.cloud/eis/eis-leaves-color-change.php
