Survival through Adaptation

Looking at Leaves

Leaf Color

What Can Leaf Color Tell Us?

Succulent leaves covered in white hairs. The leaves have dark spots on the tips.

Kalanchoe tomentosa. Photo by Rebecca Kon.

Large, dark green, vertical leaf.

Anthurium cupulispathum. Photo by Rebecca Kon.

Plant with pale succulent leaves. The leaves have spine-like growths on the edges and backsides.

Aloe brevifolia. Photo by Rebecca Kon.

Large, dark green, vertical leaf.

Anthurium sagittatum. Photo by Rebecca Kon.

A large number of small, bright, whitish green succulent leaves grow vertically.

Senecio talinoides ssp. mandraliscae. Photo by Rebecca Kon.

Large bright green horizontal leaf.

Philodendron dunstervilleorum

Questions & Prompts

  • Which leaves do you think grow in hot, dry conditions? Which leaves do you think grow in wet, shady conditions? Why?

  • Identify patterns between the leaves. What can these patterns tell you?

  • What similarities do you see? What differences?

  • Choose one of the leaves above. Draw the leaf with as much detail as possible. Can people guess which leaf you chose based on your drawing?

  • Choose one of the leaves above. Write a descriptive paragraph. Can people guess which leaf you chose based on your writing?

  • Describe the plant that you think made each of these leaves. How big is the plant? Where does it live? Does anything eat this plant?

  • Find the best color match to the leaves using our color cards.

  • Do any of these leaves look like the leaves in your community?

Adaptations

Tropical rain forest plants live in low light environments that are under the canopy of taller trees. Their dark color and large size gathers as much light as possible. Desert plants live in direct sunlight. Desert leaves are often light green or gray to limit the amount of light that enters the leaf. Underwater aquatic leaves are usually very dark green since they gather light while under water. Aquatic leaves that float on the surface may be a lighter green.

a beam of light shines through a triangle-shaped block of glass and lands on a white wall. The light displays as a rainbow on the white wall.

light through a prism

The science of light and color!

Leaves get their green color from chlorophyll, a green pigment that absorbs sunlight for photosynthesis.

During photosynthesis, chlorophyll captures the energy of sunlight. The plant combines energy from sunlight, carbon dioxide from air, and water and nutrients absorbed by the roots to make glucose (sugar). Oxygen is produced during photosynthesis and is used by most living things (including people).

Sunlight looks white, but it is composed of a rainbow of different colors! In photosynthesis, red and blue are absorbed as the leaf absorbs energy to create sugars (food). Green is not absorbed. It is reflected off the leaf, and this is why we see leaves as green!

light through a prism

Historical connection!

In the early 19th century, some European and Americans attempted to classify the world around them. These people were called naturalists. Look closely at these pages documenting the various greens identified by one naturalist. Can you find the best color match to the leaves in this section?

Old book page with eight green squares. Each green square is a different shade and has a number, a name, and examples of animals, vegetables, and minerals that are that shade of green.

Werner's nomenclature of colours, Abraham Gottlob Werner, 1821, Burndy Library Collection, The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens

Old book page with eight green squares. Each green square is a different shade and has a number, a name, and examples of animals, vegetables, and minerals that are that shade of green.

Werner's nomenclature of colours, Abraham Gottlob Werner, 1821, Burndy Library Collection, The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens

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