Why do leaves change color in the fall?

1 Answer
Peter D.
May 16, 2015

The chlorophyll in plants begins to disappear as the leaves die. This causes the anthocyanins and carotenoids, which were previously "dulled" by the abundance of chlorophyll, to stick out and color the leaf. The color of the leaf is determined by the quantity of anthocyanins and carotenoids in the leaf.

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