Abscission Layer

Changes in abscission layer, which produces the wide spectrum of colors ranging from yellow to red, are activated by temperature and the length of the night (the time that sunlight is not available), called the photoperiod. A hard frost can prevent the leaf from completing its natural cycle and simply cause it to die and turn brown. Typically, the color change in leaves initiates at the outer edges of the tree and progresses inward.

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