Aren’t we mesmerized to see the artist called “Nature”? It simply is an outstanding artist who knows all the intricate play of colours and shades. Just behold the colours of leaves and flowers, they are not only exquisite

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but soul inspiring too. What makes them of a certain colour or how do they change their colours?

There is a science behind this art of nature. If you have ever been intrigued by the changes of the colour of the leaves and wanted to know the season, read on and you will find the answer to your question.

Remember Your Science Lessons at School

Most of us know from our school days that chlorophyll is responsible for providing green colour to the leaves. We have all studied the process of photosynthesis that helps in converting the sunlight into glucose by using carbon dioxide and water. But there are other lesser known pigments found in plants as well namely carotenoid and anthocyanin, which play their role in defining the colour of leaves.

After summers, the days become shorter resulting in the lower level of sunlight being received by the plants. As plants do not require chlorophyll in those times, they decrease its production. This is the time when Anthocyanin and Cartenoid take over and provide their primary colours to the plants. While Cartenoid also assists in photosynthesis when chlorophyll level drops and provides yellow and orange colour to the plants, anthocyanin provides a protective sunscreen to the plants and changes their colour to red during autumn season.

So, the next time when you take a walk in the garden near your home with your better half, enlighten each other with knowledge about the colour change of leaves. Your partner may love it or get bored by this extra information, but he/she will definitely appreciate your level of intelligence.

Pour Some Sugar on Me and See Me Change Colour

This is what the plants sing when the weather turns from sunny to rainy. With each falling drop of rain, they start producing sugar which makes them change color. To explain this phenomenon, let us go back to the school again. Well, you already know that anthocyanin provides the red color to leaves, what you don’t know is that the production of anthocyanin is boosted by the extra sugar production. Its increased production results in the reddening of the colour of the leaves. This change of colour only takes place in 10% of tree species.

Colour Change in Cloned Trees

If you have watched sci-fi movies, you might have some idea about genetically cloned humans. What you may not know is that it happens for real in trees and leads to colour change.

Aspen is a tree which reproduces by dropping shoots and suckers from their roots, which creates a group of genetically identical trees called a “clone.” With the arrival of autumn, the cloned tree changes its colour and it can only be differentiated from the parent tree by the colour of its leaves. The two similar trees standing side by side provide an amazing view to the spectators. If you have a park near home which has an Aspen tree, visit it with your loved and enjoy their beauty as they stand with different colors in harmony.