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By ELIZABETH COMEAU
Staff Writer 10/20/2007

enlarge Staff photo by David Leaming

Ground up leaves fly out of a lawn mower operated by Arthur Rancourt at his house on North Street in Waterville. Rancourt said he was trying to stay ahead of the falling leaves by grinding them up.

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If you haven't gotten your leaf-peeping fill, you better do it this weekend, the peak for fall color in central and coastal Maine, according to Mainefoliage.com and the state Department of Conservation.

Leaf color changes were delayed this year because of warm weather at the start of the season, but that has led to good late-season views across the state.

But where do those brilliant colors come from? And why now?

Peter Milligan, a biology professor at the University of Maine at Augusta, said the spectrum of reds, yellows and oranges can be attributed to the breakdown of chlorophyll, a pigment found in all green plants.

Chlorophyll gives leaves their green color, Milligan said. When the chlorophyll breaks down, other pigments in the leaves become visible. The chemical also absorbs from sunlight the energy that is used in transforming carbon dioxide and water to carbohydrates, such as sugars and starch.

"Chlorophyll doesn't absorb green light, which is why you see green leaves during the year," Milligan said.

Along with the green pigment, there are also yellows and oranges, which most of the year are masked by great amounts of green.

In the fall, when there is less daylight and cooler temperatures, the leaves stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to orange colors become visible.

State forest rangers from Bath to Machias, covering all coastal locations, and Augusta stretching from Fryeburg north through central Maine to Bangor are now reporting foliage color just shy of peak, or about 60 to 70 percent overall. Leaf drop in all three regions is now moderate, or less than 50 percent.

Locally, vibrant colors have been spotted everywhere -- in Belgrade; on Route 17 in Windsor, Mount Vernon and Readfield; and even on State Street in Augusta driving down from the airport. Just about everywhere you look, you're bound to see striking colors.

To provide the most accurate foliage information, Department of Conservation rangers will report conditions statewide every Wednesday through Oct. 24. Updated reports and information can also be obtained by calling the Maine foliage hotline at 1-888-MAINE-45.

Elizabeth Comeau -- 623-3811, Ext. 433

ecomeau@centralmaine.com

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