Fall leaf color guide

Fall is a beautiful time to take a drive to look at all of the beautiful trees changing color.

Leaves begin to change color because of the lack of chlorophyll that is present in the spring and summer, revealing the other colors in the leaves that is present beneath the green.

The colors present in the leaves depends on the tree species, so in the fall, you can narrow down tree identification by looking at the colors.

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Yellow is definitely a common theme in trees popular in northwest Iowa. Green ash, walnut, cottonwood, elm and basswood all have yellow leaves.

Oaks are pretty drab with brown leaves, and willows have a bronze hue.

Maple is the lone standout in northwest Iowa with red leaves, adding some color variety to the landscape.