You can find it in foods such as sweet potato, carrots and apricots. These pigments start disappearing at the same time as chlorophyll does, but at a much slower rate, so their colours last well into autumn.īeta carotene is a type of carotenoid, and is responsible for giving plants and many edible goodies their orange colouring. Golden orange hues also come from carotenoids. This sticks around long after the chlorophyll has disappeared. Xanthophyll, a type of carotenoid, is responsible for the yellow colours we see in plants. Once chlorophyll's dominant green is reduced, fiery oranges become much bolder. This is when the golden hues we love start to appear.Ī group of chemicals called carotenoids are always found in leaves. These help protect plants from sun damage. The production of chlorophyll slows and then stops completely. Then, as nights start to grow longer and less sunlight is available, this signals to trees that autumn is on the way. The green from chlorophyll masks other colours throughout the sunnier months. This turns carbon dioxide, water and the light from the sun into sugars that feed a tree. Kaleidoscope of coloursĭuring spring and summer, chlorophyll helps plants with the process of photosynthesis. When it's reduced, a different colour becomes most visible.
When there’s more of one pigment, leaves appear certain colours. Different quantities determine the colours we see. Science made simpleĭespite the technical terminology, leaf science is pretty simple. Basically, it's about the balance of pigments. But why do green leaves turn to red or orange, and how do the trees know when summer is over? We break down the science for you below. We all love the season's spectacular hues.
But we all know the best bit is when the leaves give the colourful spring flowers a run for their money. Autumn: we can stop complaining about the heat, but still enjoy the outdoors without a hundred layers! Conkers litter the paths, pumpkin-spiced everything returns, and you can step back into your favourite pair of boots.
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