Beeches on the turn

Trees have hormones just like people.

As the length of days shorten, so leaves produce less of a hormone called auxin.

That hormone imbalance causes the layer between leaf and tree to fracture.

Green chlorophyll breaks down and leaves empty of nutrients as much as possible.

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.

And the Beech is dormant for winter.

If only I could join it.