Why Leaves Change Color

Autumn’s crisp temperatures, fall colors and clear nights make for great camping.

Every Scoutmaster should know the answer to the question “why do leaves change color?”. Here’s some information from the United States Department of Agriculture: During the growing season, most tree leaves are green because they are full of chlorophyll.

Plants use chlorophyll to capture sunlight for photosynthesis, the process that enables them to manufacture their own food. The amount of chlorophyll is so high during the summer that the green color masks all other pigments present in the leaf. As the days grow shorter in the fall, chlorophyll production slows down and eventually stops. The carotenoids and anthocyanins that are present in the leaf then become visible. More information available at the USDA website