Autumn leaf colours happen because leaves change as the season changes.
Think of a leaf like a little worker in a factory. All summer long, this worker is busy making food for the tree using sunlight, that’s called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is what makes leaves look green, like a green shirt on a person.
But when days get shorter and colder, the tree starts to slow down. It tells the leaf it's time to rest, so it stops sending food to the leaf. The green shirt comes off, the chlorophyll fades away, and other colours that were hiding under it start to show. These are like different coloured clothes the leaf had been wearing all along but couldn’t see.
Sometimes you’ll see red or purple leaves, those come from anthocyanin, a special pigment the tree makes when it’s cool. It's like the leaf getting dressed up for a party before going to sleep!
What happens after autumn?
Once the leaf is fully changed and no longer needs food, the tree lets go of it. That’s why leaves fall, they’re ready for their long rest!
Examples
- A tree loses its green color because it stops making chlorophyll, revealing yellow and orange pigments that were always there.
- Why do some leaves turn red in the fall? It's because of a new pigment called anthocyanin.
- During autumn, trees prepare for winter by slowing down food production.
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See also
- Why Do Forests Have Different Colors in Autumn?
- Why Do Forests Change Color in Autumn?
- What is fall?
- Why Do Some Trees Lose Their Leaves While Others Don't?
- Why Do Some Trees Change Color in Autumn?