We are inspired by nature and celebrate the change of the seasons, in particular the fall season. Every year we anxiously anticipate the dramatic color change of leaves from green into practically every color of the rainbow. Have you ever wondered what causes leaf color to change in the fall?

It's a combination of light, temperature and available water. Short days and falling temperatures signal trees and shrubs to quit producing chlorophyll, which converts sunlight into sugars through a process called photosynthesis. As chlorophyll breaks down, leaves reflect the remaining leaf pigments that were there all along. Orange is produced by carotenoids, or carotene (‘kar-uh-teen), the same pigment that gives carrots their color. Yellow comes from xanthophylls (‘zan-thuh-fil), where red and purple colors are produced by anthrocyanin (an-thuh-‘si-uh-nuhn) pigments. Brown colors come from tannin, a bitter waste product. Different combinations of these pigments give us a wide range of colors each fall.

The most brilliant colors are seen when there is an ample supply of moisture in early fall, but dry during late fall, coupled with sunny days. Cooler temperatures (best when 40’s Fahrenheit at night) also support a longer period of color, which explains why fall color lasts longer in the mountains than along the benches or in the valleys.

Treatment of leaves:
We have found that a leaf’s color is best preserved by thoroughly pressing and drying it. We use herbarium paper (an absorbant paper designed for pressing botanicals) in our custom-made presses to quickly draw all of the moisture out of each leaf. In addition, we use a museum quality conservation glass that blocks 97% of all UV rays. It is important to note that even with all of the precautions that we take to preserve the leaves we gather, they will still fade when exposed to the UV rays of the sun. To prevent this from happening, avoid placing or hanging your leaf art anywhere it may be in the sun. The less sun (even indirect sun light) the better, and the longer your leaf art will remain its vibrant natural color.

If you have purchased artwork from us and have found that the leaves have faded over time just send us your picture and we will replace the faded leaves with new ones.* Please feel free to contact us with any questions regarding our product.

*There is a small fee for this service and the new leaves will differ slightly from the original.