Why do tree leaves turn red and eventually fall off in the fall?
We didn’t notice it right away in the great heat at the beginning of October, but autumn is here. As winter approaches, temperatures slowly drop and the landscapes change color… But why does the vegetation actually change from green to red at this time of year?
The error has a somewhat complicated word, photosynthesis, the process of which we will briefly introduce to you. We must first understand that plants are green in spring and summer as these are growth periods for plants. The latter produce large amounts of a pigment called chlorophyll, which gives it this green color and thus allows it to absorb the sun’s rays and provide the tree with energy.
In autumn the temperatures are cooler and the sun becomes less common. As winter approaches, trees begin to conserve energy and slow their photosynthesis; Chlorophyll production is also reduced. Without it, there is no green pigment.
As the Weather Channel explains, leaves store less energy as the days get shorter. Then they become brittle and eventually collapse, more or less quickly depending on the region or altitude.
Why the color red and not another?
Without chlorophyll, other types of pigments take over. We include carotene, which gives yellow or orange tones and is found in carrots, corn and daffodils, for example.
The pigment associated with anthocyanins turns the leaves red. This substance is created by an accumulation of sugars found in many flowers such as cornflowers, peonies and pansies. Xanthophylls, a pigment that is mainly found on ash, birch, plane tree, maple or alder, are responsible for the yellow complexion.
The phenomenon is more pronounced in rainy autumn and at milder temperatures.