Construct a tree of hundreds of thin tubes, joined together as a trunk and spreading upwards and outwards as branch bundles to separate into discrete twigs. Over the end of each tube twig is attached a small, leaf-shaped, transparent balloon.

Slowly fill the balloons with a green colored gas. Gradually exchange the contents with yellow, orange and red colored helium. Heat-seal the balloon ends one by one and every few seconds in a random manner release blazing, buoyant leaves to fall towards the sky.
-- FarmerJohn, Nov 13 2004

I was completely unaware of this fine idea when I posted the below linked less fine idea Fake_20Plastic_20Trees
[calum, Jan 25 2013]

So for all you dreamers on cloud 9, I'm just wondering who is going to rake up that mess
-- dentworth, Nov 13 2004


you probably, it will all come down in the neighbours yard.
-- po, Nov 13 2004


" the neighbors yard" [po] if only it were that simple, once they fall in their yard a big wind picks them ALL up and blows them into mine. every day, for 4 months, every year... im so tired of raking.
-- dentworth, Nov 13 2004


yeah, I meant FJ's neighbour's yard...
-- po, Nov 13 2004


eeexxcellant.
-- dentworth, Nov 13 2004


What would happen if you planted a tree upside-down with a full-spectrum light source underneath it? Might be quite cool to film it and then play it back the other way up.
-- lyserge, Nov 13 2004


UB, there are just too many

actually FJ, this tree could also have fiber-optics that would light the balloons before they are released, and obviously I don't know much about gases, would the colored heliums glow?
-- dentworth, Nov 13 2004


You could leave the baloons on and have them fill and empty like a pulsing heart. You could light them from within, obviating the physics necessary to color helium. At the end they could fly airborne as described. Maybe filled with smoke? I envision this as a stage prop.
-- bungston, Nov 13 2004


Somehow, I don't think this would be good for air traffic. On the other hand, cities could turn this problem to their advantage by releasing all of the leaves at once to stop out of control planes, suicide bombers, etc.
-- nick_n_uit, Nov 14 2004


Maybe an apple tree?
-- blissmiss, Nov 14 2004


[+] This is so cool!
-- xandram, Jan 25 2013



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