Why are Some Plants not Green?
Plants contain various pigments other than chlorophyll, which gives them colors other than green. Some examples of plants that have colors other than green are listed below.
- Coleus (Plectranthus scutellarioides): Leaves of Coleus have variegated patterns of green, red, pink, purple, and yellow. These color variations are due to the presence of anthocyanins and chlorophyll.
- Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum): Leaves of Maple exhibit colors like red, orange , and yellow. These Colors are contributed by anthocyanins present in their leaves.
- Croton (Codiaeum variegatum): Similar to Coleus, Croton also exhibits variegated paterns on their leaves contributed by uneven distribution of chlorophyll and anthocyanins in their leaves.
- Purple Cabbage (Brassica olereaceae): As the name suggest, purple cabbage has purple leaves. The color of its leaves are due to the presence of anthocyanins that accumulate in its leaves.
There are more plants which exhibit different colors like, Rheo, Begonia, Red leaved banana, Black grass, etc.
Why are plants green?
The answer to why are plants green is because of the primary green pigment called chlorophyll and the function of chlorophyll is to help in photosynthesis. Plants are among those organisms that can convert the light energy of the sun into chemical energy. That is why these green plants are called the producers of the ecosystem. The green color of the plant is contributed by the pigment chlorophyll that is present in the chloroplasts. Chlorophyll is not only responsible for the green color of a plant but is also an essential facilitator of photosynthesis. In this article, we will study why are plants green, the functions of chlorophyll, chloroplasts, etc.,
Table of Content
- Why are Plants Green?
- What is Chlorophyll?
- Types of Chlorophyll in Plants
- Chloroplasts
- Photosynthesis as the Primary Function of Plant Pigments
- Why are Some Plants not Green?