Question
What actually makes trees change color in the fall. I live in the Mountains of Western North Carolina, and they are very beautiful, but this past fall they didn't stay colorful very long. just wondering if you knew why? Thanks!

Answer
Chlorophyll is what gives plants their green color. The green color "hids" the true color of the leaves and when the tree in the start of cooler weather stops producing chlorophyll the underlying colors come out. The following is a good web site that will explain it further.

http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/leaves.html