As the amount of daylight gets shorter in the fall, chlorophyll production in leaves slows down and eventually stops.

"There's something about the trees changing colors in the fall that just captivates people ... that the trees have a red or purple leaf throughout the summer. Not all trees have anthocyanin, however.

Gardner said, by mid-to-late October, the fall leaf color should work its way down those mountain areas and into areas of lower elevation. ExploreFall, a website previously featured on WRAL ...