Why some plants turn their leaves red already in spring and summer
Leaves change colour in autumn for many plants, but some turn red already in summer. An article published by Latvian public media LSM asks why, and its headline calls it a defence strategy.
An article on the environment and animals, published by Latvian public media LSM, looks at changing leaf colours and asks why some plants have red leaves not only in autumn but also in spring and summer. The headline describes this phenomenon as a cunning defence strategy.
Autumn colours
Autumn is the season when the surrounding landscape shows not only green leaves but also leaves of other colours. This applies to wild plants as well as cultivated crops. Deciduous trees and shrubs are the most noticeable, but they are not the only plants that change colour in autumn.
Red leaves already in summer
The introduction turns attention to plants that become red much earlier, in summer, when there is still no sign of autumn. The author poses the question of why this happens. The headline suggests that the red colour serves these plants as a form of protection, and that they produce it in spring and summer as well.
The excerpt provided does not explain how exactly this protection works or what it is directed against. The full answer is given in the original article on the LSM website.
