Hidden Colors

After a long, hot summer, almost everyone welcomes the cooler days and nights of fall. The cool, crisp air is a nice change. Yet, another more beautiful change is made by leaves. What was once a forest of just one color——green——is replaced by a bright, dazzling show of reds, oranges, and yellows.

Where do these colors come from? They have been in the leaves all along, but
we couldn't see them because the reds, oranges, and yellows were hidden beneath the green.

Leaves are green because they have inside them a special green material known as chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is important to plants. With the help of sunlight, plants use chlorophyll, carbon dioxide, and water to make food. The food made inside the leaves allows the plant to grow.

When fall comes, the tiny cells at the base of the leaves begin to dry up. These dried cells keep water from entering the leaves. Without water, the leaves stop making chlorophyll. The green color of the leaves disappears. The hidden colors begin to dazzle us once again as the bright glow of fall bursts out.