That gorgeous red occurs when the leaf is hanging there in its final days, ready to drop and turn brown. Is this because of the cold weather? Is this a protective device to help the old leaf live just a little bit longer? Is the leave conserving energy by being re

The red pigments are determined by the type of tree, certain trees turn certain colors when they shed chlorophyll in the fall. Some are meant to be yellow, some orange, and some red. I suppose the trees I saw in the park were just meant to be a dull yellow. The vibrant reds and oranges in Connecticut just had to do with the types of trees growing up there.

d? Why red? The colors of autumn leaves are mostly caused by the loss of chlorophyll, the chemical that makes leaves green and that is produced in the warm spring and summer seasons. This really doesn’t explain the red, though. There are many theories about the origin of red leaves. The most in depth exploration is of a resurrected 19th century notion that the red pigments are anthocyanins and their purpose is that of a protective device when photosynthetic chemistry is failing. Anthocyanins are found not only in autumn leaves but also in hot-weather plants with red leaves. The anthocyanins are associated with young, old, or sick plants. They are thought to screen u

Some topics in this essay:
Greene Park, , red leaves, leaves change color, change color, Fort Greene, fort greene park, loss chlorophyll, greene park, fort greene, cold weather, leaves change, red pigments, explain red, protective device,