Two trees in Plumas County have a reputation.
They are planted a mere six feet apart, or so, and are the same species (Mountain Maple).
However, the one on the right changes faster and drops leaves sooner. Every. Year.
Color spotter Jeff Titcomb sent in the annual update of these trees with the following report:
“Beautiful fall this year and not as dramatic of a change between them [the trees], as seen in past years,” he said.
The phenomenon of these two trees is most likely due to sunlight.
“If you’ve ever seen a tree that has green leaves on one side and red, orange, or yellow leaves on the other, it was probably a result of different amounts of sunlight. In the northern hemisphere, leaves that are on the southwest side of a tree will receive much more sunlight than leaves on the opposite side. Leaves near the top of a tree will also receive more sunlight than leaves at the bottom of the canopy. Consequently, phytochrome (photoreceptors) will trigger abscission (fall color) sooner in leaves getting more sunlight.” -Brent Cook, How a Tree Grows
