After a long hot summer my favorite time of year is finally here, with its balmy days, cool nights, and eventual forest color display that everyone looks forward to. If you ever wonder why leaves change color, here’s the latest scoop.
From science class you know that a tree leaf is green because it contains a group of pigments known as chlorophyll. These are so abundant during the summer that the green color hides any other pigments present. Chlorophyll has the life giving function of catching the sun's energy and using it to manufacture food and building materials for plants. During this process the chlorophyll breaks down but is constantly replaced during the growing season.