This picturesque barn, located just south of Retherford’s Farm Market in Benton, makes an ideal foreground complement for the surrounding fall foliage.
liant spectacle was famously observed by 20th Century Naturalist Aldo Leopold who described the fall color of these needles as a beautiful “smoky gold.” It can be found planted in parks and yards, as well as growing wild in forests throughout the state.
In response to unfavorable weather, this pigment is produced to protect leaves as an antioxidant that repairs damage, a natural sun- screen that shields excess sunlight, and as a defense against the cold and drought. It is also thought to help provide the tree more sugar and other nutrients before the end of the growing season. Yellow to Orange While the Sugar Maples produce brilliant red pigments, other trees such as aspen, birch, and hickory display their yellow and golden hues from the leftover materials in the leaf after the green chloro- phyll (a pigment used to make nutrients) has been reabsorbed. This means the yellows come from a lack of green pigmentation that masks the yellows throughout the spring and summer. In addition, some maples, such as the streamside Silver Maple, add an eye-catching orange to create a yellow to red spectrum across the landscape. The color is caused by the leftover compound be- ta-carotene, the same chemical that makes carrots orange.
Where and When?
The colorful trees mentioned above can be found sporting their fall colors throughout Pennsylvania, from parks and yards in sub- urban areas to the deeper forested areas of the state. However, the region known as the Alleghany Plateau along the upper West and upper North Branches of the Susquehanna River yields more bril- liant red maple forests than anywhere else in Pennsylvania. These thick forests create a sea of unbroken autumnal colors that will make any peeping trip worthwhile. In Columbia & Montour Counties, some of the best fall foliage viewing will be found in the northern parts of the counties, where the region is more forested. Quiet back roads found to the east and north of Exchange in Montour County all the way up toward Red Rock and Ricketts Glen State Park will be a great place to start. Picturesque rolling hills and farm-filled valleys near Waller and Benton will make for fantastic photography opportunities. For those looking to find a photogenic barn for the foreground of their snapshot, you’ll find it just south of Retherford’s Farm Market on State Route 487.
Smoky Gold
Although the broadleaf trees, like maples, tend to lose their leaves, while conifers (cone-bearing trees) keep their needles, there are some exceptions. Tamarack, a conifer tree species native to Penn- sylvania, is known for losing its needles annually each fall. The bril-
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