Ever wonder why trees leaves turn red in the fall? Well this is caused because plants (trees) make their own food using sunlight and chlorophyll, (giving leaves their green color) which is abundant in the summer. As winter approaches, trees must adapt. Many plants stop making food in the fall so the chlorophyll goes away. We can then see orange and yellow colors. These colors were in the leaves all summer, but the green covered them up. One step farther in the process is when the red is exposed which is underneath the yellow and orange. Red pigments occur as a tree is going dormant. The red pigment protects the leaves from the sun. Anthocyanins provide the red color we see in leaves (this also appears in apples and other red plants), this acts as a sunscreen for the leaves to protect them. The leaves will eventually dry out or frost and fall, so enjoy the beautiful colors of the leaves before winter takes over and the leaves fall and are covered in snow!
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at CU Boulder chapter.