The wind blows down from the north, seeking refuge in the balmy tropical rainforests of Hainan. One after another, the three-lobed leaves of the Chinese Sweet Gum (Liquidambar formosana) bid their trees goodbye and swoop gracefully to the forest floor, transforming it into a carpet of golden orange and fiery red. These are just a few of the many hues of the rainforest.

The colorful trees of the Wuzhishan area of the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park on Dec. 7, 2023. (Photo: Li Tianping / Hainan Daily)

The most prominent red hues in the rainforest come from the deciduous Chinese Sweet Gum tree, which gradually change with the seasons from summer’s vibrant green to fiery crimson in the fall and winter.

The winter finery of the Chinese Sweet Gum. (Photo: Li Tianping / Hainan Daily) 

The cooler weather brings out brighter colors in the leaves of the Chinese Sweet Gum. (Photo: Li Tianping / Hainan Daily) 

In contrast with the Chinese Sweet Gum, the newly sprouted leaves of many rainforest plants are red, and then gradually turn green as they mature, including the leaves of the Common Pentaphylax.

The Common Pentaphylax can be sighted all through the tropical rainforest. Curious about the name? Penta means ‘five’ in Greek, and this plant sports five sepals (outer parts of the flower), five flower petals, and five flower stamens, each with five lobes, which explains why it has ‘penta’ in its name!

The crimson hues of the tender, fresh Pentaphylax leaves are red when they first emerge, while the falling leaves of the Chinese Sweet Gum only turn red at the end of their lives. Pentaphylax leaves lack chlorophyll when they first emerge, letting the red of the anthocyanin, an antioxidant naturally found in many colorful plants, shine through. This is the plant’s defense against excessive UV light damage. The chlorophyll in Chinese Sweet Gum leaves, on the other hand, begins to break down in cooler weather, exposing the red of the anthocyanin. The red hues of the Pentaphylax symbolize youth and tenderness, while the red of the Sweet Gum means that the cycle of life is coming to an end.

A bright red, tender new leaf has sprouted in the rainforest. (Photo: Li Tianping / Hainan Daily) 

The leaves of the Hainan Starviolet shade gradually from violet to green. (Photo: Li Tianping / Hainan Daily) 

Deep in the Bawangling area of the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, the habitat of the Hainan Gibbon, there is another colorful plant - the Fan-leaved Maidenhair (Adiantum flabellulatum). With leaves that seem like smaller versions of the famed ginkgo leaf, this plant looks quite elegant, and the yellow tones are very visible against the sea of rainforest green.

The leaves of the Fan-leaved Maidenhair look like mini ginkgo leaves. (Photo: Li Tianping / Hainan Daily) 

The seasons come and go, and the stars circle silently above. Suddenly, the bright colors of the new season arrive, bringing a new awareness of the never-ending passage of time.