Leonard Weber

October 19, 2024

Many times on nature walks in Eliza Howell Park in October, my attention is divided between fauna and flora. I am alert to migrating birds and am looking for the last butterflies of the year, but it is impossible not to notice the changing foliage.

I was able to arrive early on the morning of October 17. The sun was bright, highlighting the first frost of the fall and the colorful foliage at the edge of the woodland.

The term “senescence,” meaning  growing old, is sometimes used to describe the process of tree leaves changing color in the fall. Leaf  senescence signifies that the growing season is over, and dormancy is beginning.

On some of the earliest trees to change, most of the green is gone by the middle of October.

Not all trees of the same species change at the same time.

Based on observations in previous years, the second Sugar Maple pictured here will not be fully red until very late in the month.

The view from the footbridge over the Rouge River demonstrates the changes during October.

By the end of the month, as a photo from last year indicates, most leaves will have fallen.

In the woodland, much of the change takes place during the second half of October.

Walking the path will be quite different by the end of October, as shown by a photo from last year.

The word senescence is a general term to describe aging and age-related deterioration. In humans and other mammals, senescence is not something that we usually celebrate. It will not be followed by dormancy and new growth; nor is it colorful.

Leaf senescence, on the other hand, is a joy to observe and one of the major reasons October is a great month for nature walks.