“Chlorophyll? More like borophyll!” — Billy Madison Not so fast! Chlorophyll is actually pretty cool. Leaves get their colors from tiny molecules called pigments. The pigment responsible for their green color is chlorophyll, which helps plants turn sunlight into food through photosynthesis. Yep, plants basically make their own snacks using sunlight. During spring and summer, when sunlight is plentiful, plants produce lots of chlorophyll, keeping leaves green. But as temperatures drop in fall, some plants slow down chlorophyll production. As the green fades away, other pigments that were hiding all along finally get their moment in the spotlight. Hello, yellow, red, and orange! Images: mountrainiernps NPS/Filo Merid NPS/Ivie Metzen