Maybe you’ve walked through a park full of brown leaves or watched the trees become bare over the last few weeks.
But have you ever wondered what causes this phenomenon every year?
It’s time to discover why the leaves change color with the seasons.
Why are there so many different colored leaves?
Not all leaves are created equal, so you will find them in many shapes, sizes, and colors.
Each plant has pigments that give it color. Chlorophyll is the most common pigment and makes plants look green.
Carotenes are another well-known type of pigment that gives plants an orange look, while xanthophylls create yellow tones, and anthocyanins produce red and purple shades.
The color of plants also depends on the time of year and the conditions in which they grow. Depending on the month, you may see green, yellow, orange, red, brown, or even purple leaves.
What makes leaves change their color?
Plants turn light energy from the sun into chemical energy during photosynthesis. This creates oxygen, food, and other organic materials that support life on Chlorophyll is essential to this process.
When the temperature gets cooler as fall approaches, and there is less sunlight, the chlorophyll breaks down as it’s no longer needed. This makes the plants look less green.
Other pigments that were already in the background, like the carotenes, become more visible and change the color of the leaves.
Other chemical changes during this season can cause red leaves in some trees, like oaks and dogwoods.
For example, red anthocyanin pigments are produced more toward the end of when natural sugars get trapped in the leaves. These changes bring an even greater variety of colors in the fall.
Do all leaves change color in the fall?
By contrast, those that change color and shed their leaves every year are deciduous.
Some evergreens also produce cones, like the pine or fir, and are called coniferous plants.
Coniferous evergreen plants are often associated with and you might notice their luscious green leaves standing out in a snowy winter scene!
Birds and other small creatures use evergreen trees, such as pine trees, for shelter and food during winter.
Their leaves provide protection against the cold weather, and some plants produce berries all year round.
Trees like conifers provide a vital lifeline for wildlife by retaining their leaves or needles throughout the cold months.
