Why do the leaves change color?

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Leaves are like little energy machines for trees. During the summer months, when there is a lot of sunlight, the leaves produce a chemical called chlorophyll.

It's these chemicals that keep the tree alive and healthy.

In fact, it's the chlorophyll that makes the leaves look green. The colors we see in the autumn are in the leaves all summer, but the chlorophyll covers them up.

But, as sunlight dwindles, the tree begins to shut down to conserve the energy the leaves have created during the summer.

The production of chlorophyll stops, and the already present colors of the leaves begin to show. Yellows, reds and all the other autumn colors we see.

Eventually, the leaves are shed by the tree; in other words, they 'fall'.

So, while we associate lower temperatures with colorful trees, the temperature really has nothing to do with the change. It's the lack of sunlight that tells the tree to start conserving and stop producing that green chemical we call chlorophyll.

To see some photos of some fall foliage, click here.

To see web cams of the foliage from across the country, click here or click here .