Why Do Leaves Change Colour? The Yellow Was Hiding All Summer

The yellow in autumn leaves isn't new. It was there all summer, hidden under green. We bust two common myths. First, it isn't mainly the cold that sets off autumn colour. It's shorter days. Second, autumn doesn't paint leaves yellow. It just uncovers what was already there. Then comes the twist: red is made fresh in fall. You'll also learn why weather makes some years brighter, why oaks go brown, and how a tree cuts its leaves loose with the abscission layer. What's the best fall colour you've ever seen, and where was it? Tell us in the comments. Chapters: 0:00 The colour was there all along 0:21 Myth one: the cold does it 0:55 Myth two: autumn paints them 1:46 The red twist 2:17 Why some years are better 2:57 Letting go Sources: • SUNY ESF – Why Leaves Change Color: https://www.esf.edu/eis/eis-leaves-co... • Old Farmer's Almanac – Why Do Leaves Change Color in Fall?: https://www.almanac.com/why-do-leaves... • CT DEEP Forestry – Why Leaves Change Color: https://portal.ct.gov/deep/forestry/f... • NDSU Extension – Dakota Gardener: The Amazing Chemistry of Fall Colors: https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/news/columns/... • Minnesota DNR – The science behind fall colors: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fall_colo... • Nuelink – What's Trending on Instagram October 2026: https://blog.nuelink.com/whats-trendi... Credits: Video by Khadijah Karaca on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/a-puddle... Video by Serg Alesenko on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/drone-vi... Video by https://kaboompics.com/ on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/frozen-l... Video by Tom Fisk on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/breathta... Video by Nancy Zjaba on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/sunlit-a... Video by AP Vibes on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/a-close-... Video by Steve A Johnson on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/autumn-l... Photo by sanynjez gao on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up... Video by Nicola Narracci on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/microsco... Video by Nadine Sky on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/maple-le... Video by Eudes cs on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/time-lap... Video by Kmeel.com Videos on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/autumn-l... Video by Diana ✨ on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/close-up... Video by Everett Bumstead on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/drone-fo... Video by German Korb on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/vibrant-... Video by German Korb on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/vibrant-... Video by Alex Kad on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/colorado... Video by Jozef Papp on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/serene-l... Video by Polat Eyyüp Albayrak on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/snow-fal... Photo by Christina & Peter on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up... Video by Carson BRETZ on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/rusty-oa... Video by Manoo Media on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/a-close-... Video by Davlat Tursunov on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/low-angl... Photo by Street Donkey on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/single-b... Video by Rec Everywhere on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/autumn-s... Video by Tom Schönmann on Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/aerial-v... Music: "More Video Game Music I Guess" by Seth_Makes_Sounds (CC0 1.0, https://creativecommons.org/publicdom...) https://freesound.org/people/Seth_Mak...