Yukon Cornelius wrote:Leaves change color because of the decrease in sunlight and temps. The fall colors is the result of chlorophyll breaking down which makes them lose their green color. When trees drop/change color early, there is some underlying condition going on, usually stress from wet cool weather to hot and dry.
I think you pegged it Yukon. Not to say it couldn't be underlying fungal/pest issues and fewer daylight hours, but I feel like it's more of a transition from relatively cooler and wetter conditions to hot and dry. Austin Bergstrom has had a trace of rain the entire month of July, with hot and dry weather, after a very wet Spring and June.
The lush growth of leaves the trees and bushes put on with the abundant moisture has basically shut off in July and heated up, so in order to reduce transpiration, they're shedding their older leaves to compensate for the loss of moisture and hotter temperatures.
The large Cottonwood trees on a vacant property near my work have been shedding their leaves over the past week or so. Still green, but there is leaf litter in the parking lot. They're responding too I would imagine to a combination of the above, because they have been healthy looking.
We've gotten to 100 about 10 times this month. I'm ready for the pattern to go back to wet and cooler. I know this is the hottest, driest time of year though climatologically. Have to wait a while.

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