Why Leaves Change Colors

leavesWe all enjoy the colors of autumn leaves, especially the Whispering Springs Nursery team. The changing fall foliage never fails to surprise and delight us, but do you really know why the leaves change colors in the fall?

Let’s Get To It

According to Sciencemadesimple.com, “as summer ends and autumn comes, the days get shorter and shorter. This is how the trees “know” to begin getting ready for winter – this is where the color changing process begins. During winter, there is not enough light or water for photosynthesis. The trees will rest, and live off the food they stored during the summer. They begin to shut down their food-making factories. The green chlorophyll disappears from the leaves.”

When this happens sometimes we may see shades of yellow and or orange appeal on the leaf. Most likely, small amounts of these colors may have already existed on the leaf, but you couldn’t see it because of it was covered by the green chlorophyll.

Leaves that turn red in the fall usually have food trapped in them while leaves that turn brown have waste in them. It is the combination of all these things that make the beautiful fall foliage colors we enjoy each year.

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