Why do leaves change colors in the fall?

Fall is just around the corner, when leaves begin to change their colors. But have you ever wondered what causes them to transform?

"Plants make their food using sunlight and something called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll gives leaves their green color," according to AccuWeather. "The shorter days are a sign to trees to get ready for winter. The trees will rest and live off the food they stored during the summer."

This is when leaves shut down their food-making process and the chlorophyll goes away, resulting in vivid colors like yellow and orange. These colors were still there during the summer, but they were just covered up by the green of the leaves.

Some leaves turn red, which is made in the fall from food trapped in the leaves "combined with sunlight and cool autumn nights" according to AccuWeather. Brown colors also happen during the fall as a result of waste left in the leaves.