Science Common Sense

6 - Why do leaves change color in the fall?

During the fall, the days get shorter and the weather gets colder. This tells the trees that it's time to prepare for winter. The trees start to stop making food through a process called photosynthesis.

As the trees stop making food, they start to close off the veins that carry water and nutrients to the leaves. This helps the trees save energy during the winter.

When the trees stop making food and stop sending water to the leaves, the green color starts to fade. Under the green color, there are other colors like yellow, orange, and red. These colors were always there, but the green was hiding them.

Now that the green is gone, we can see the other colors. This is why leaves change color in the fall. It's like the trees are showing off their hidden colors before they go to sleep for the winter.