Meaning of Different leaf colors in Arden, NC
One of the best ways to understand leaves is to think of them as being methods of communication between the tree and the sun. Leaves photosynthesize to create chlorophyll through the absorption of sunlight. In fact the most common definition for photosynthesis is “combining” or “putting with” light. As the foliage in your trees makes contact with sunlight it activates the chloroplasts inside the leaves. This process is underestimated as being essential to life everywhere. This process inside the chloroplasts is responsible for combining carbon dioxide and water in order to give all of life clean oxygen for breathing. Furthermore, in Arden, NC this process also produces glucose which is the main sugar involved in growth inside plants, and trees. More specifically, Chlorophyll is the chemical that makes photosynthesis possible. SO as you can see the two chemical processes are cyclical, without one the other cannot occur.
The main reason leaves change color in the fall is because of the drastic reduction in exposure to sunlight. This creates the opportunity for chlorophyll to drop in production and for other elements inside the tree to take effect. This is how leaves lose their magnificent green color in order to obtain the beautiful variety of colors we recognize as the autumn.