The colors of the autumn show -
orange, yellow, brown and red -
have actually deceived us all;
they can’t be seen when sunlight fed.
The sun produces chlorophyll
which keep the leaves so green;
but underneath their greenish tint,
their truer colors lie unseen.
When summer days are over and
the earth tilts another way,
the beauty of their vibrant hues
are visible on an autumn day.
Autumn Rarities and Reflections Contest Winner
Author Notes
Picture borrowed from allthatsinteresting.com
INTERESTING FACT:
You might think that the orange and yellow colors, or pigments, are only present in leaves in fall, but they are actually there all year long. We just can not see them, because they are covered up by the strong green pigment that is also in the leaves. This green pigment comes from chlorophyll, a substance that makes energy for trees using sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water. When the amount of sunlight starts to decrease in fall, trees respond by making less chlorophyll. When this happens the green starts to disappear and the yellow and orange pigment, called carotenoid, shows through.
