Today is the first day of fall, which means the leaves on the trees will soon begin to provide us with a beautiful showcase of color. But have you ever wondered why the leaves on the trees change colors in the fall?
According to TreeCareTips.org, the leaves on our trees change color, in part, because of chemical changes within the leave. TreeCareTips.org describes leaves as “small factories containing raw materials… in chemical form and with some color.” When trees “abandon” leaves, the green chlorophyll begins to break down and the tree then recycles it, which leaves chemicals of other colors behind. The color of the remaining major chemical determines what color the leaves of the tree will be. For example, if the major chemical is red, then the leaf will turn red.
Additionally, TreeCareTips.org says that intensity of color will vary from year to year due to weather conditions such as rainfall amounts, temperature, humidity, and others.
Now that you know why leaves change colors in the fall, we hope you’ll better enjoy their display of beautiful color!
Image: Ron Bird / FreeDigitalPhotos.net