Why leaves change color in fall

Ihad written an article on leaves during a series on plants. I wrote about the green called chlorophyll.

Green is the color of life, nature, health and prosperity. It is hope in the spring; the renewal after winter.

So, now that it is autumn, where do all the colors come from?

Pigments in the leaves make the colors we see. In the spring and summer, we see green — the longer daylight, more rain and warmer temperatures mean plants are busy with food production.

The chloroplasts (containing chlorophyll) in the presence of sunlight and water utilize the process of photosynthesis to make sugar, the food of plants. This food allows the plants to grow, blossom, and bear fruit and seeds.

Carotenoids are pigments that produce the yellows and oranges in leaves, but throughout the summer months