Why do leaves change color in fall?

Plants

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by Mya Kagan (whyzz writer) >> more about the author

The reason trees have green leaves in the first place is because they contain a special chemical called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is very helpful and important for trees and other green plants because it allows them to use water, light from the sun, and carbon dioxide in the air to create the food they need to have energy and grow bigger! This special process is called photosynthesis.

In winter there isn’t enough sunlight or water for most trees and plants to continue using their chlorophyll to make food. In order to prevent themselves from being hungry, these trees and plants all make extra food for themselves during the bright, sunny summer.

As soon as fall moves in and the days get shorter, trees and other plants start to get ready for the winter, which means they stop making food because they’ve already stored up enough during the summer. Once they’re no longer making food, the trees no longer need all of that green-colored chlorophyll and, when the green chlorophyll disappears, we are left with the other colors of the leaves that the green had overpowered all summer long: Beautiful reds, oranges, yellows, and even purples!!

Winter storage

Trees store up food for winter, when it is going to be more difficult for them to make the food they need.

Can you think of some other living things that also store up food for winter? Lots of animals do this. One that you might already know a little bit about is the squirrel, who spends a lot of time collecting extra nuts during summer and fall to keep himself well-fed during the winter.

Another one you might have heard about is bears, who spend winter a deep sleep! Since it will be hard for them to find food during the cold winter months, bears snooze all through winter until spring arrives!

What other examples can you think of?