Aspens Aglow

Probably just about every outdoor, landscape photographer in Colorado wants to have a few fall aspen photos in their repertoire.

While the vast majority of aspens turn a golden color, a few will turn orange or even red as seen in this photo. Photographically, the red ones are prized for both their rarity and the dramatic photos they can create.

So why do a few aspen trees turn red while most all others do not? It turns out that those trees that produce the red leaves produce in the fall a pigment called anthocyanins. While all aspen produce carotenoid pigments, only a few have the genetic characteristics to produce the anthocyanins, and what purpose these have is not clearly understood. While trees without the ability to produce the anthocyanins will never be red, weather can also play a factor for those that have special pigment, because some years, they may not turn red. The conditions most favorable for the red-leaf production seem to be warm, sunny, fall days with cool but not freezing nights.

We found these trees located on the lower elevation end of Ohio Pass. That pass is located between Gunnison and Kebler Pass at the upper end. The photo was taken fall of 2018.