Chlorophyll is important for plants to make food using sunlight. During spring and summer when there is plenty of sunlight, plants make a lot of chlorophyll. In autumn when it starts to get cold, some plants stop making chlorophyll. Instead, those plants break down chlorophyll into smaller molecules.

What causes plants to lose chlorophyll?

A common cause of chlorosis is a deficiency of iron or manganese, both of which are present but unavailable in high pH soils (pH>7.2). Iron and manganese are needed by plants to form chlorophyll and to complete photosynthesis.

What happens when plants lose chlorophyll?

When chlorophyll is no longer being produced, the other pigments show through (for example, red, orange and yellow leaves in the fall). These pigment molecules all have the same basic function – to absorb specific colors (wavelengths) of light and convert that light energy into sugar.