Why do leaves change color in the fall?

Question

Hey everyone,

I was wondering if anyone could explain to me like I’m five why leaves change color in the fall. I know it has something to do with the temperature and the amount of sunlight, but I’m not sure how that makes the leaves turn red, yellow, and orange.

Thanks in advance for any explanations!

In: 11

Answer 1

Leaves change color because they die.

Or rather, because tree kills them to save energy/nutrients for the winter. Leaves have tubes in them much like human blood vessels, which connect to tree. Tree starts sending a kind of resin that will eventually build up and clog up the vessel, and cut leaf off from circulation, so leaf won’t get nutrients from tree anymore. And without them, it won’t produce chemical which gives color to the leaf, and dries up.