A Wonderleaf question
Why do leaves change color in fall?
a real page from the book
Leaves change color in fall because trees stop refreshing their green chlorophyll as daylight shrinks and cold weather arrives. When that green breaks apart, yellow and orange pigments already inside the leaf become visible. Some leaves also make red pigment before they drop.
The loveliest part is that autumn color is partly a weather report. Clear days, chilly nights, and enough rain can make reds stronger and keep leaves bright longer. Then the tree takes back useful food from each leaf before letting it go.
Wonder words
- chlorophyll
- pigment
- carotenoid
- anthocyanin
Try it out
Collect three fallen leaves, sort them by color, and guess which pigments you can see.
Read the whole picture book
Watercolour scenes, straight answers, about three minutes cover to cover.
Open the picture bookKeep wondering
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