Why do leaves change colors the fall

Did you know  leaves change colors in the fall? You probably said yes but for the wrong reason. Leaves change colors in the fall because night time comes earlier and earlier and  there is not enough sunlight for the plant to use photosynthesis.  Once this happens the green pigment in plants called chlorophyll  is not produced any it stops making the tree green. This is when the interesting part happens. The trees change into orange, red, brown, and yellow colors because of carotenoids and anthocyanins inside the plant.

Carotenoids are brown, orange, and  yellow pigments. Some examples of carotenoids are carrots and  corn. Anthocyanins produce red, pink,blue and purple. Examples of anthocyanins are berries and apples.

Have you ever wondered why some fall leaves are brighter some years and duller other years?  Leaves are brighter when  the autumn days are hotter and the night are cooler because the hot days help them make food and the cool nights keep the energy and food in the leaf making them healthier and brighter.

Chlorophyll in plants absorb and reflect different colors and types of light. Chlorophyll absorbs violet, blue, and red light. It reflects green light in turn making the leaf green in color.

In the winter leaves  fall off and  die. There are some cases however that are different including the pine  and evergreen tree that keep their leaves on year round They do this because they are used to climates where there is limited water and sunlight.







                                                        Links

   pic of berries
   pic of carrots
   pic of pine tree
   pic of evergreen

   autumn leaves