Is there a purpose to fall leaf color? The crimson color of autumn leaves is astonishingly beautiful, but it may serve a purpose for the tree, too, according to Leaflets, an online newsletter produced by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The red and violet colors in leaves come from a group of pigments called anthocyanins, which are created by the leaf to act as a sunblock. As the levels of chlorophyll are depleted, the leaf cannot use all…
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