Did you ever ask yourself, what makes the leaves change color or why they change just when they do. Leaves are green because of the process of photosynthesis. Sunlight is absorbed by chlorophyll in the leaves and serves as the energy for protein production. Chlorophyll strongly absorbs the red and blue portions of sunlight best. Since chlorophyll absorbs green light poorly, green light is reflected and that s the color we end up seeing as leaf color.
Leaves are the means by which the trees gather carbon dioxide, and give off oxygen.
It is the roots that gather water and nutrients, but it is the leaves that process it. For a long time, Jack Frost got fingered for the change of color in leaves. It is commonly believed that when the temperatures get low enough for frost to form, it kills the leaves. When the leaves die, they can no longer produce chlorophyll, and thus exhibit their death colors. But frost, and cold temperatures have nothing to do with leaves changing color.