The why behind leaves' fall colors explained

Next week, my husband and I will have been married for an entire year. For our anniversary trip this year, we decided to go to the mountains. Many people take a trip to the mountains every fall for one thing, the leaves, but have you ever thought about why the leaves change color?

Mother Nature is a beautiful and amazing thing. Every year the summer green leaves turn vibrant colors of red, yellow, orange and brown before they fall to the ground for winter. Fall pigments are caused by the destruction of chlorophyll, which gives leaves their green color. With the chlorophyll gone, the other colors are revealed.

How vibrant fall colors are can be impacted by the climate, location and tree species. The best conditions for fall leaf color are cool nights, no frost, warm sunny days, no heavy rains, no heavy winds and slight drought conditions for the last half of the growing season and into the fall, according to the University of Georgia's Kim Coder, professor of community forestry.

Fall is also a great time to plant trees if you would like to enjoy the fall color from the comfort of your own home in the future. Planting trees in the fall and early winter gives them optimum opportunity to establish before the summer heat and possible drought arrives. Even though the tops of deciduous plants go dormant for the winter and the tops of evergreen plants slow down, roots continue to grow. Since the tops demand little from the roots, the plants' energy can be funneled to the roots for growth and establishment.

When planting a tree, dig the hole twice as wide, but the same depth as the tree's root ball. Any wire, burlap or straps should be removed from around the trunk. Burlap does not have to be completely removed, but should be pulled back a third of the way. Also make sure that the top of the root ball is level with the soil surface. Back fill the hole with the same soil you removed. Cover the planting surface with 3-5 inches of mulch. Just like the summer, plants will need water in the fall and winter when it's dry. When watering, direct water to the root ball is where it is needed the most.

For trees with fall color, look for Trident Maples, which produce a red to yellow color in the fall. They also produce an orange-brown exfoliating bark. Red Maples have a showy fall color of reddish orange. Japanese Maples have a fall color from orange to red. They come in many cultivars with great foliage. Sourwood is an upright deciduous tree with red fall color. This tree is native to Georgia and a good source of honey. Flowering Dogwoods have a red fall color. They are an understory tree, so they need to be planted in partial shade. Ginkos provide excellent yellow fall color. Fruit from female trees produce an unpleasant odor. Sweetgums'fall color ranges f rom yellow to orange to purple. The Chinese Pistache in known for having great fall color late in the season. Its color ranges from red to orange.

Whether you're heading north to the mountains or planting your own tree, I hope you stop and take the time to enjoy the colors of fall.

This story was originally published November 3, 2015 at 6:49 PM with the headline "The why behind leaves' fall colors explained ."