From Maine to the Blue Ridge Mountains leaf peepers should not be disappointed. It may surprise you to learn that leaves really don t change color in autumn, but rather reveal their true color.
Leaves derive their green color from the pigment chlorophyll found in the cells of the leaf.
Chlorophyll absorbs energy from sunlight and uses it in transforming carbon dioxide and water into food for the tree. In fall, shorter days and cooler temperatures trigger the leaves to stop making food. As a result, the chlorophyll breaks down, and the green colors fade away unmasking the yellow and gold pigments in the leaf. We see the brilliant yellow foliage on trees such as hickories, elms, birches, beeches and poplars. The beautiful red and purple hues seen in maples, gums, and certain oaks are produced by another pigment called anthocyanin.