Leaf colors?

Question

Can you tell whether a tree is a hardwood or a softwood by the color the leaves change to in the fall. I have been told that the harder the wood the more red the color. True or an old wives tale?

Answer 1

Douglas fir is a softwood but is harder than many hardwoods. Softwood-producing trees include pine, spruce, cedar, fir, larch, douglas-fir, hemlock, cypress, redwood and yew. Balsa is a hardwood that is softer than some softwoods. There are about a hundred times more hardwood species than softwoods. They are therefore greatly varied and I have yet to see a correlation between their Fall foilage and their classification status as either a hardwood or softwood so far. Hardwoods have broad leaves and enclosed nuts or seeds such as acorns. The distinction is this:

"The difference between softwood and hardwood is found in the microscopic structure of the wood. Softwood contains only two types of cells, longitudinal wood fibers (or tracheids) and transverse ray cells. Softwoods lack vessel elements for water transport that hardwoods have; these vessels manifest in hardwoods as pores."

Still looking for a correlation between the Fall foilage. Be back if I find it.

Edit: So far all I have discovered is yahoo answers is retarded because perfectly good answers get a thumbs down. No other discoveries yet since then.

Answer 2

http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-msgr&p=Leaf%20color%20changes

LOL good un. Here is all I "never" wanted to know on the subject. :)

I am amazed in one respect; being the tree hugger that I am.

I see a few references to CONIFERS; which aren't at all LEAF bearing trees, as opposed to Deciduous. I think in one instance however the SPECIES does matter. You did get some detailed "opinions" however; though not an answer to the Q.

Pretty obvious to me is that at some point; Clorophyl stops being produced; sugars retract to protect the tree; and color happens. That might indeed depend on the "species" and method by which that tree supplies it's life blood to it's external organs (Leaves)

But what do I know. I live in the land of Palms and Honey, LOL.

Steven Wolf

Answer 3

it`s more the species of tree than the wood.balsa one of the softest ,lightest woods is technically an hardwood.