Why Do Leaves Change Color

Why Do Leaves Change Color

So Many Colors One of nature's most beautiful sights is a forest full of bright fall colors. Imagine making art with all those colors of paint!

Leaves in their fall colors are beautiful. Did you ever wonder why a tree's leaves change color? To answer this question, you need to understand the important job that leaves do.

Making Food Leaves make food so the tree can grow and have energy. This process is called photosynthesis. Leaves need four things to do their job. 1) Leaves need water, which they get from the tree through their stems.

2) Leaves also need a gas called carbon dioxide. They take in carbon dioxide from the air around them. 3) All plants use a chemical called chlorophyll for photosynthesis. Chlorophyll gives leaves their green color. Many parts of green plants have some chlorophyll in them. Leaves have the most chlorophyll of all the parts.

4) Leaves need sunlight for photosynthesis. Sunlight and chlorophyll work together. They turn water and carbon dioxide into a kind of sugar. This sugar is the food that gives plants energy. When they make food, trees also give off a gas called oxygen. Animals need oxygen to live.