Beeches on the turn
Trees have hormones just like people.
![Beech leaves - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)](https://www.thehallofeinar.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Stover-The-Hall-of-Einar-0850-725x483.jpg)
As the length of days shorten, so leaves produce less of a hormone called auxin.
![Beech leaves - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)](https://www.thehallofeinar.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Stover-The-Hall-of-Einar-0859.jpg)
That hormone imbalance causes the layer between leaf and tree to fracture.
![Beech leaves - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)](https://www.thehallofeinar.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Stover-The-Hall-of-Einar-0852-725x408.jpg)
Green chlorophyll breaks down and leaves empty of nutrients as much as possible.
![Beech leaves - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)](https://www.thehallofeinar.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Stover-The-Hall-of-Einar-0869-725x408.jpg)
Beautiful carotenes, the yellow and orange pigments of carrots, and bright anthocyanins, the reds, purples and blues of berries are left behind.
Then the leaves fall.
![Beech leaves - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)](https://www.thehallofeinar.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Stover-The-Hall-of-Einar-0872-725x483.jpg)
And the Beech is dormant for winter.
If only I could join it.