Why Do Forests Swoon in the Fall?

Trees wear new clothes in the fall. When summer ends, trees stop making chlorophyll, which is like a green paint that covers their leaves. Once the green paint fades, we can see other colors, yellow and orange from carotenoids, and red and purple from anthocyanins. This happens because trees are getting ready to rest for the winter.

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Examples

  1. A maple tree wears a bright red coat in autumn because its green paint ran out.
  2. Chlorophyll is like the green makeup of leaves, it fades away as fall arrives.
  3. An oak tree shows yellow and orange hues when its green cover peels off.

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