Red is a curious color with an almost endless collection of meanings. It is on one extreme end of the visible light spectrum, at least for humans, and has served as an indicator of caution for people since ancient times.
Recent political identifications aside, red is the color or part of the color scheme of most fire engines and many emergency vehicles. To the young, and young at heart, the ideal sports car shade is blazing red for both creating envy with peers, and attracting attention of the traffic enforcement authorities.
This hue also warns motorists to stop, either with the color of the octagonal sign or the cyclops-like stare in a triad of lenses which indicate the proper traffic action. In many rural areas, the blinking red light is the animated indicator to halt on the line and yield the right of way.
As panhandle Florida moves towards winter, the muted natural tones are highlighted by the red in the landscape. Some of the hue’s sources are present all year, and some only appear as the days shorten.
The ever-present Virginia Creeper is turning red as the days shorten and winter approaches. Caution is advised as poison ivy, which also turns red in autumn, can be mixed in with this common weed.
Red leaves of many different shapes and tones are common in the autumn. The change from green to red is a chemical-based metamorphic reaction to fewer hours of daylight.
Virginia Creeper and poison ivy can be a bright cherry red during the waning days of autumn and early winter. With the seasonal change, it may be difficult to tell the two species apart.
The reds, and purples, in the leaves currently on display come from a pigment group, called anthocyanins, which resides in the cells. This chemical compound develops in the sap of the leaves.
These pigments are not present in the leaf during much of the growing season, but are produced in August and September as the days become noticeably shorter. The amount and intensity of the reds and purples in leaves depend on a combination of environmental factors.
The breakdown of sugars in the sap, the intensity and duration of sunlight and the level at which phosphate declines in the leaf combine to produce a nearly infinite number of shade and hue possibilities.
Cardinal flowers stand out in stark contrast to their surroundings. This native plant is found in wet areas and is nearing the end of its bloom cycle.
The brightest colorations commonly occur when the fall days are bright and cool, and the nights are cold but not below freezing. With a bit of premature cold weather courtesy of Hurricane Ian, this has happened in 2022.
Less common, but just as brilliant, is cardinal flower which blooms locally in the late summer and fall. This native, botanically known as Lobelia cardinalis, has a range from Canada to Columbia.
This perennial is found on streambanks, in swamps and wet sinks and other consistently damp soils. It propagates by seeds, but mature plants can be divided if cultivation is attempted.
Curiously, this plant received its common name when samples were taken to Europe for propagation. The red of its blooms are similar to the vestment of Roman Catholic Cardinals.
Also named for cleric robes is the avian cardinal, or at least the male birds. This native species is a year-round resident in north Florida, but it is much more visible when the leaves are off the trees.
So, when seeing red in the forests and landscapes of the region, at least it has nothing to do with the latest election or football game.
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