I love fall. Like many people, I love the dramatic display of the change of foliage color which takes place during the autumnal equinox which began last week on September 22nd.  The cooler fall temperatures, shorter daylight days and return of monsoonal  rains are a welcome relief from summer drought and oftentimes high temperature conditions. Now skies are filled daily with heavy, dark gray clouds ready to release the rains so welcomed by our high desert ecosystems. Shorter sunlight days also signal the breakdown of the chlorophyll pigment (essential for the photosynthesis chemical reaction) in plants which we see as various shades of green. In deciduous plants (plants which seasonally shed leaves) other pigment colors such as yellow, orange, red, tan, brown, purple/plum, even pink now become more visible as other chemical changes take place. Plants in the field visible from my home have already turned tan colored. Although some green plants still remain. As you’ve probably observed plants have unique color change timetables.