The Real Reason Leaves Change Color In the Fall

You've probably heard that leaves of deciduous trees change color in autumn because they lose their green chlorophyll molecules, allowing the underlying yellow and orange pigments to shine through. However, this doesn’t explain why the leaves change color in the first place.
LEARN MORE
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To learn more about this topic, start your googling with these keywords:
Leaf senescence
Chlorophyll
Carotenoid
Anthocyanin
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CREDITS
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Peter Reich | Script Writer
Henry Reich | Script Writer, Narrator and Director
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REFERENCES
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Hoch, W. A., Singsaas, E. L., & McCown, B. H. (2003). Resorption protection. Anthocyanins facilitate nutrient recovery in autumn by shielding leaves from potentially damaging light levels. Plant Physiology, 133(3), 1296-1305.
Feild, T. S., Lee, D. W., & Holbrook, N. M. (2001). Why leaves turn red in autumn. The role of anthocyanins in senescing leaves of red-osier dogwood. Plant physiology, 127(2), 566-574.

[@alyssamsipe9123]

"the world prettiest recylcing plants" PUNNNN CITTTTYYYYYYYYY

[@misclickable]

+Alyssa Sipe Is the pun supposed to be something to do with recycling plan?

[@ArvMC]

a recycling plant? Like recycling factory.. This pun is shit

[@alyssamsipe9123]

Misclickable don't listen to that downer, this pun is beautiful and yes it's like a recylcing factory.

[@misclickable]

Alyssa Sipe Ahh... I get it now. Thanks :) .

[@alyssamsipe9123]

Misclickable you bet

[@Darasilverdragon]

gods, that pun... Go home minuteearth, you're not my dad

[@vandalman8]

"Gods"

[@Darasilverdragon]

vandalman8 ...yeah?

[@TheFishCostume]

+vandalman8 "By the nine divines!"

[@R4V3-0N]

+Darasilverdragon The awkward moment your father suddenly comes home a few minutes after you say that...

[@The_Reductionist]

+vandalman8 the old gods and the new

[@SupremeScience]

I see what you did there. Sorry, you didn't leaf me any option..

[@alnayt8476]

Chemistryisthegame lol

[@Rabidscruffy]

Supreme Science ya leaf me hanging..

[@fakedoorsfordinner1677]

Laef

[@nurlelahayati4163]

Supreme k Science us B tad yahya waloni

[@qqq1701]

Ooooh I see what you did there.

[@joshypoopyhead]

HAHAHAHAHAHA SO FUNNY HAHAHAHAHUEHUHEUHEUHEUHEUEH COUGH

[@goliver9991]

+qqq1701 i don't get the pun, pls explain

[@ARP2wefightforyou]

+Mr.Halogames recycling "plants".

[@goliver9991]

Levi Langer OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I CAN SEE THE FUTURE NOW

[@phantomascom]

+qqq1701 MMMMMMMMMM FUUUNNNYY JOOOKE!!

[@Boborbot]

Dat Pun tho. Leaf and go home, Minute Earth, you're trunk.

[@islandprincess714]

*FROM CROWD* BOOOOOO!

[@solisruben296]

@@islandprincess714 *YEEEEEEEEEEEEESS

[@SudyCrumbz]

I felt drunk reading this comment section but it some how makes sense

[@KevinAnimalCrossing]

"Recycling... plants" HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAFUNNYJOKEHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

[@joventlk7300]

HAHAAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA

[@patu8010]

MMM, FUNNEEEE JOAK

[@phantomascom]

+patu8010 FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE JOOOOOOOOOOOOOKKKKKKE!!!!!!!

[@wmarzan8130]

+Kevin AnimalCrossing I dont get it

[@phantomascom]

George D. Yeah. Good Channel.

[@agent_soshi]

Leave the recycling plants!

[@marioornot]

+Aidan A leaf them?

[@Robasiewicz]

+Aidan A LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!

[@krabvonchefenstein5753]

+Robasiewicz LEAV HER ALONE

[@nemraps]

Everyone watching this video pretending they know what "deciduous" means

[@Smac_Ker]

+NemRaps you weren't taught the main difference between deciduous and coniferous trees in school? Or are you simply implying that the majority of people on this channel are uneducated?

[@Sparklyst4rs]

@nemraps deciduous mean that leaves fall bro are you dumb?

[@gsvick]

@@Smac_Ker For some of us, English is not their first language. We were taught the difference between deciduous and coniferous trees in school, but in our native language, not in English.

[@shrivishalr7821]

I live in the tropics but even I know about them . We have deciduous trees too !

[@SuperPolentaman]

But can you explain why leaves fall down and not upwards?! Chekmate atheists!

[@FlameableFireball]

+SuperPolentaman um... gravity?

[@Koltronn]

+Shad0wmeld Gaming Its too late, they already said checkmate

[@korayacar1444]

+Koltronn It's too late, illegitimacy of humiliation has been proven multiple times by now

[@m8e]

+SuperPolentaman Living things falls down due to evolution. Animals that falled up into space couldn't breed and spread their genes. That's why there is no lighter than air animals.

[@siamahajan5991]

+m8e air is actually really heavy, in one room it can weigh as much as a brick wall

[@maxwelljiang4729]

I just realized after re-watching the pun at 1:07

[@Mjmannella]

+Max Jiang What's the pun?

[@robspiess]

+Marshall Mannella Hint: at 1:07: read, don't listen.

[@PeterP_]

+Marshall Mannella Recycling plant. ....RECYCLING PLANT!

[@georgekromidas5097]

I don't get it.

[@Mjmannella]

George Kromidas The title of the paper where the chlorophyll breaks down is called "Safetree Manual"

[@tunafishjoe]

The visualization of the green chlorophyll molecules and their yellow counterparts was done really well! Clever way of including the actual organic molecules and their color transition.

[@SonicRooncoPrime]

Bravo on that pun. Bravo.

[@DANGJOS]

Thank you for this! A few years ago, I read on Wikipedia that the reason for the anthocyanins was nitrogen transfer. I really didn't know what it was talking about. I had an idea, but wasn't sure, but this certainly cleared it up :)

[@SureyD]

"Oxygen molecule" Noooo! Aside from that, I think this is another great video.

[@Aester]

Nascent oxygen?

[@melo4087]

What about the pink tree leaves in Asia?

[@friedkeenan]

Probably just a less intense version of the umbrella one

[@LunaDevaKitty]

+MH DOOM Those are Sakura trees - Cherry trees.

[@infraredplayer]

+MH DOOM MF DOOM!

[@melo4087]

NRG Player metal fingers DOOM

[@josiahbaumgartner7643]

Those are flowers and that happens in the spring, not fall.

[@drink15]

Its not recycling, because they dump all those damn leaves on my lawn!!! My lawn is a landfill for leaves.

[@m8e]

+drink15 Just leave the leavesn alone and nature will take care of that.

[@Enleuk]

+drink15 Why don't you, instead of doing whatever you're doing to the land you own that has created this conflict between you and trees, employ the annual rain of Nitrogen and Phosphorous in the useful production of food?

[@RainAngel111]

+m8e leaves on your lawn will kill the grass. I for one think we should get rid of these high-maintenance grass lawns and go for something more self-sufficient and low maintenance.

[@JellybellyWaffles]

+drink15 That's still recycling. The nutrients from the fallen leaves goes into the ground and back into the plants.

[@vgamesx1]

+RainAngel111 like.. concrete? Lol

[@sinephase]

We had a winter here when in March the temperature went up over 20 degrees for about 3 weeks. The plants started budding but those were killed off in April when the temperature fell again below freezing and it snowed until it normally stops more than a month later. It must've been very hard on the trees... Poor guys :P

[@ericahuang4565]

So...Donald Trump was Shrek at some point? XD

[@Yourhighnessnona]

Crying

[@Marv3Lthe1]

Those oxygen molecules at 0:56 are so adorable, I cant live without them.

[@singingcrow439]

It's been a LONG TIME since I heard a good pun. Thank you

[@mstenemo]

Interesting! Would be great to see a similar video on the leaves of other plants (both as they grow and as they dry upp, e.g. if you forget to water a plant for a long time)

[@Evangel1cal]

1:41 WoAh HOLY HECK THOSE LEAVES ARE BRIGHT

[@SaturdayMath]

I love autumn colors!

[@TerraLyte47]

So They recycle the tings before doing a meme with the earrape version of the Alia intro

[@erickelias2863]

leafs change color because when they're brown it means that the leaves are cooked enough by the sun to be eaten

[@General12th]

inb4 "I'm a biology major and this video is so inaccurate SHAME ON MINUTEEARTH" comments

[@Blk380]

cool

[@TheMABExperience]

Basically the trees say "Aight fam summer is over, lemmie get dem nutrients up out 'chall fam. It's finna get cold & I ain't goin." Cool!

[@anonoumos]

great, i love science. never learned this in intro ecology lol

[@Andrew-uc4qr]

I really enjoyed this video! Thank you bringing amazing and insightful content!

[@pitsahat2]

If this is the real reason, what is the fake reason then? I was this stuff at school so I am curious what other people are taught.

[@Hessimore]

+Edward Elric he said the fake reason at the beginning - that trees loose chlorophyll, instead of just breaking it down.

[@korayacar1444]

"Trees destroy chlorophyll in their leaves to make them look different."

[@jsun5166]

+Koray Acar Wait really? I thought it was "Trees realize that when winter is coming, days get shorter, so they stop making chlorophyll because it becomes inefficient, then the chlorophyll that was originally there decays, and the other pigments show" something like that.

[@TasTheWatcher]

+Hessimore Actually he says the *leaves* lose their green chlorophyl. Which they kinda do when it gets broken down.

[@teia9845]

+J Sun well now u know its not like that c:

[@mahxylim7983]

My English is bad and I dont spot any puns... Can anyone tell me what are they ?

[@callietho]

Its Fall right now, and I love it. Everything is so pretty. To bad it only lasts for a couple of weeks. Thanks for the video. I learned new things.

[@dreiacosta]

I get jealous about countries with four seasons and this is one of the reason why... :(

[@C_Bat]

every single pun... gets me every time

[@Beanzybean]

why is everyone here talking about puns O-O

[@anonymoussimp1507]

Safetree Manual. Damn. That's so brilliant.

[@grampton]

but why are some trees doesn't change color?

[@grampton]

like their branches don't turn blue?

[@mayankkumar4161]

And what about the tropical decidous trees??

[@MrFreakHeavy]

It would be cool if you talked about mycorrhiza. The amazing world of the interaction between mycelia and roots.

[@korayacar1444]

He did talk about it. But not in detail.

[@MrFreakHeavy]

+Koray Acar I just remember one video where he mentioned something like: "oh there's fungi that help plants get nutrients", but there's way more to that.

[@NickSheridanVids]

"You've probably heard that leaves lose their colour in Autumn because..." You know, in UK schools we study Autumn/Fall EVERY FUCKING YEAR and I still didn't know anything about this.

[@pabloo.o1912]

Who could dislike this, I mean come on people

[@minimini684]

Nice pun. Don't forget to leaf a like!

[@Rome.Monroe]

The autumn leaves show how beautiful it is to let the dead things go.

[@charlottedatwani9819]

I know that nobody will see this comment but I have freedom of speech yo man! Schools are so dumb they give you textbooks that explain everything wrongly, like velocity adds together and light has no gravity or gravity comes from mass... One of them included that autumn has no sunlight so chlorophyll breaks down. I watched this video so I told my teacher that autumn has sunlight and she responded to me like: Not enough for plants to do photosynthesis and textbooks are always correct. I am a bit tired of the whole wrong textbooks thing and then Americans got the common core thing where its maths is all wrong. What a world

[@albaraaaltassan8246]

Char Dat your prediction was in correct I saw the comment

[@stoppi89]

The world prettyiest recycling ... PLANTS! Minuteearth please... (It was actually a decent pun, but roasting puns is just so hip with the young people)

[@Saanyooo]

That was brill! Thank you guys! :)

[@Timetravel1111]

Question, anybody tell me why this one true I saw this morning is very deep red like half the top of the tree in Minneapolis and it’s in the park not really near water. ❤🌳. 🎃 blessed Mabon an equinox today.. 1:43

[@ZackIvy]

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[@GabeWeymouth]

Nice one. I was just talking about this with my daughter, and seeing it as a video is great. She has a video request: how can an igloo made of ice keep people warm?

[@jonathanjacob2053]

To put it simple, it traps the warmth from the people’s body keeping the igloo warm in the process

[@albaquercusfagaceae7111]

as a deciduous tree, i appreciate the video

[@munmundey8190]

Why does eating pineapple cause blisters in your mouth?

[@mycelium9629]

Munmun Dey Because pineapple juice is acidic.

[@PersianMapper]

OH THE PUUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNS!!!!!

[@Manuel-jr6op]

I live in Florida. I'm not color blind, but can you please define the terms "Red leaf," "Orange leaf," and "Yellow leaf"? I have no idea what these are. Thank you, and Sincerely, -All of Florida

[@Tinny609]

regardless, i love the changes 🌲🌳🍁🍂🍂 love how nature works!

[@jaygatsby6660]

I know that you last video about this has something wrong, This is nice to know. NICE VIDEOS! Next fall, what would be the new discovery?

[@sadiedeservedbetter]

Am I the only one who sees purple-red tree leaves in spiring and summer

[@LanieMae]

Some of us humans don’t recycle, does that mean trees are smarter than humans?

[@JoakimfromAnka]

90% of trees turn brown. Most of the yellow ones are covered with brown spots. I have never seen a wild red tree.

[@Jimmy_8bitz]

Tree science is so dope!!

[@mythydamashii9978]

45% are people talking about the puns. 45% are people saying that's a pun. 9% are people who doesn't know what a pun is, and it just rhymes. 1% are people who is saying some of em are not a pun

[@1flamingofilms]

I was going to make fun of the pun, but then I scrolled down to the comments....

[@Lobbogurke]

what are your sources on, the anthocyanins beeing used as a shield? Cause I had a little talk with my Professor who is a specialist in plant phisioligy and he said that it sounds like a great hypothesis but one he never heard or read prove on... So do you have any sources I would really like to show them to him...

[@ranoonay]

That 50% recycling of resources in the leaves in fall is merely the direct recovery percentage. Once the leaves fall to the ground, break down into detritus, and are metabolized by the bacteria and fungal colonies at the base of the tree and along its roots, a tree recovers even more of its spent resources, indirectly!

[@11ronnie53]

Nature as it all work out trees retain minerals- nutrients from their leaves before they shed them, so the fallen leaves don't contain a lot of goodness but help the soil retain condition in the form of calcium, minerals in small amounts by providing food for worms and bacteria thus replenishing the soil great stuff.

[@maxinewest4096]

Beautification of spring bring ones hearts joy, lovers of colors sings of the beauty of the world,. Fall colors trees, Oh what a beauty to see , makes the world a pleasant thing to behold. Before winter takes a toll.

[@quintencoltof5359]

But. breaking down the chlorophyll was the right answer, just not the full explanation? Or did i miss something?

[@allysonaham7190]

These videos get me through school

[@Quazy]

The channel is minutephisics but when you click on a video it says minutes arghk

[@Azurren]

Soooo.. How less effective is red at absorbing sunlight than green? Does the benefit largely outweigh the resource cost of producing the pigments?

[@MrKontrolFreek]

love the videos. always left with a smile on my face.

[@gauravghosh3421]

Trees have unlimited growth because North countries are cold and snow fall happens so this is why trees shed leaves during winter and grow that the same amount every year . However where it is warm like amazon over there trees grow unlimited.

[@Phoenix86RW]

Wow, that was incredibly informative yet concise. Thanks very much. Side note: Recycling plants -- Get it? Get it? I'll be here all week... lol Love the pun

[@CorwynGC]

Just remember, leaves don't fall... they're pushed. Check out a dead branch with leaves still intact.

[@spartan1010101]

I love red trees in the fall; I have a red maple growing my the neighborhood and I love the color. It's just amazing.

[@juanpablomorbelli8167]

+spartan1010101 Dig it out tonight and take it to your backyard. Perfect crime

[@spartan1010101]

Juan Pablo Morbelli I would if it wasn't like 50+ft tall lol it's a beautiful tree.

[@paulmahoney7619]

+spartan1010101 then grab some seed pods from it.

[@spartan1010101]

Paul Mahoney I'll be long gone before They can grow into the beautiful tree I want it to be. Hopefully I'll be moved out by then lol

[@CorwynGC]

+spartan1010101 Do some future generation a favor, plant trees. Someone did it for you, pay it forward.

[@apocalyptic3837]

I thought leaves commit suicide during winter by feeding it's energy to the tree

[@garethdean6382]

Oh it may look like that's why they change and fall, but the *real* reason is they don't fall at all, they *jump* off before the squirrels can get 'em!

[@maybexsuma2005]

Oh wow r/showerthought So if trees extract nutrient from the grown and If the tree would shed itself with the nutrient wouldn't the nutrient will be underground again? I mean leaf decemposed after some time so

[@bdyprcr]

That is funny prettiest recycling PLANTS! Hahahahaha! I like that joke at the end of the video! :P

[@cheeseburgermonkey7104]

"...the world's prettiest recycling plants." pun CIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

[@marielove024]

I thought it was the accessory pigments, such as carotenoids, are responsible for the changing g of the leaves because they reflect more of the yellow and orange color.

[@ImmortalNature777]

Why do cherry blossom trees have dark reddish-purple leaves after the flowers go away? I would really like to know.

[@islandfireballkill]

I'm confused about something though, Wouldn't the leaves they drop fall above their roots anyway? So as their break down the ground above them will be fertilised and when it rains (or the snow melts) they could re-absorb the nitrogen through their roots. I'm guessing they probably just do both things to recover the largest % of nutrients they can.

[@crystalmolina2533]

i mean that might work if it wasn't windy but i feel like it usually is in the fall/winter time

[@jakobkristensensandvik5588]

@@crystalmolina2533 That comment was seven years old xD

[@bryamuuareme329]

"They're not even normal," the little girl whispered. "Look Ma', those men have gills for ears."

[@burnz5150]

I've perused the Internet for an answer to "the beer shits" couldn't find a good or consistent answer? Can you help?

[@RELANDREL]

prettiest recycling plants (:

[@nuglet_]

incoming "incoming "leaf a like" comments" comments

[@randomname3669]

+simon paulsen incoming "incoming "incoming "leaf a like" comments" comments" comments

[@toanoradian]

Trees are so mightily complex and responsive to their environments I wonder why we don't think they're intelligent.

[@BL3446]

How does a tree 'know' when to start doing this? Is this a temperature sensor? Or like a measure of sunlight distribution?

[@johnobrien5464]

But why do they begin to reabsorb the P and N into the branches etc. Is it due to the lower of light intensity or lowering temperatures?

[@kilésengati]

If leaves on the ground just wouldn't be so slippery.

[@mccabe8818]

Everyone is talking about that pun that I STILL don’t get instead of the actual point of the video 😂

[@mira-tk3vd]

but remember that Madrona trees ARE disiguist but Don't lose there leaves. do a vid on why 😉

[@terrybickerton1455]

Why would the tree need to take the nutrients from the leaves when surely they can absorb the nutrients back from the rotting leaves that have fallen off?

[@TheGreatSeraphim]

Wtf. What you said was wrong was the exact same thing you said was right but over explaining it.

[@ChonaPardo]

Can you please make a history of earth like the brief history of everything you did with neil degrasse tyson?

[@SalvatoreEscoti]

So, if one of those trees was put on the equator would they still loose the leaves? On the Equator there are no seasons, just perpetual summer.

[@TheGarbageMann]

so basically a natural bank for its life will continue(possibly needed a comma somewhere in the sentence)

[@camilo62693]

as someone ho's living in the south hemisphere this was nice to watch, like going to disney world here, never gonna happen lol

[@OverlordZephyros]

One of the reason I love plants over animals ... GO MEAT EATER save the plants!!