• Question: Why do leaves change colour in the autumn ?

    Asked by elliejade to Asif, Laura, Lena, Sean, Viv on 19 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Lena Ciric

      Lena Ciric answered on 19 Mar 2012:

      This is a great question and the answer to this is really good, too. The plant actually absorbs all the chlorophyll which is what makes the leaves green. Smart plants!

    • Photo: Sean Murphy

      Sean Murphy answered on 19 Mar 2012:

      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. As the bright green fades away, we begin to see yellow and orange colors. Small amounts of these colors have been in the leaves all along. We just can’t see them in the summer, because they are covered up by the green chlorophyll.

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