Autumn starts today, which means nature’s annual leaf-color extravaganza is about to begin. This article is not as deadly boring as it sounds. Somehow, Michelle Phillips, Lou Reed, Thomas Jefferson, and The Dreaded Chemistry Lesson From Hell® made their way into this otherwise dry tome.
Every fall, trees put on one of nature’s most spectacular chemistry shows. Green disappears. Yellow and orange emerge. Reds and purples seemingly come out of nowhere.
They don’t, of course. Molecules are responsible for the whole show.
One of the best places I’ve ever seen it is Skyline Drive, the 105-mile road that meanders through Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, just a hop, skip, and a jump from Charlottesville, where I got my degree…