Leaves change color in the fall because they stop making chlorophyll. In spring and summer, leaves are green because of a special chemical called chlorophyll. But when the days get shorter and it gets cooler, the tree starts to prepare for winter. It stops sending food to the leaves, so the green chemical breaks down. Other colors that were hidden under the green, like yellow and red, start to show.
Examples
- A tree in a sunny garden turns bright red when the leaves stop getting food.
- Yellow leaves on a maple tree show up because green leaves are hiding them.
- Chlorophyll is like a green curtain that falls away, letting other colors come through.
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See also
- How Do Birds Migrate So Far?
- What Causes Hiccups?
- How Can a Single Seed Grow into a Tree?
- Why Do People Have Different Shapes of Faces?
- Why Do We Blink?