My neighbour's tree has reddish/purple leaves. How does it photosynthesise without being green ?

Question

they're not just a bit red, they're almost dark without a trace of green. I thought the green colour came from the chloroplasts(?) which facilitate the photosythesis process. Obviously, as it's aliving tree it must do it some way, but why are there not more reddish trees if it is not necessary to be green ?

Answer 1

The leaf colour is red or purple due to the presence of anthocyanin pigments in addition to that of chlorophyll pigment. These pigments protect the plants physiological processes from the increased temperature. Chlorophyll pigment does perform the photosynthesis

Answer 2

There are at least 4 chlorophils to my knowledge, only one of which is green but each absorbs energy at different wavelengths and it is the relative proportion of these in the leaves which determine the colour of the leaf. This tree has more of a red chlorophil than it has green. Notice that the leaves of different species which are green are not the same shade (different levels of chlorophils)

Answer 3

It is an Acer tree and for some reason they are able to photosyntesise whithout the green colour.  They are man manufacture trees these days, think they were found somewhere in India years ago and now they are genetially modified to work.

Answer 4

I think that they have either have an extra purple pigment that overides the green chloroplast or that the chloroplast have the different pigment. The dark colour helps it srvive in a very hot climate. Hope this helps.

Answer 5

Thesse trees do not photosynthesis.

The red is the blood of small animals and even children they feed on.

Answer 6

thats poiusion avie