Trees have biological clocks too. Here’s how their leaves change colour

Take the scenic route north-west out of Hobart into Tasmania’s Mount Field national park and, as you climb into the chilly alpine highland region, you won’t be able to miss it: one of Australia’s most unusual and spectacular natural displays.

‘You don’t need a strong wind, you don’t need to touch them, they literally fall off under their own weight.’ We do know that some autumns produce bolder colours than others due to the conditions in the previous spring and summer. Good rainfall and mild conditions are best, followed by a sharp drop in temperatures. “Because of that, you’ll see really bold colours; perhaps the oranges come out really quickly, or go to a red and a purple and then the leaves drop off,” says Marion Whitehead of the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah, which is Australia’s highest-altitude cool-climate botanic garden.

‘In Australia, of course, the eucalypts are holding their leaves year-round, beautiful trees in themselves.’ While the crowds retreat in winter, for Whitehead, a self-confessed “tree nerd”, the spectacle isn’t over once the leaves fall. “It’s often seeing the structure of the tree that is the reward,” she says. “There are really beautiful patterns in their zigzag architecture.”Put down that leaf blower for a start. Fallen leaves are increasingly recognised as a useful resource for the garden, not only as mulch but as a habitat for all sorts of insects and tiny animals.

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