We’ll start off by acknowledging that yes, we do know that not all plants are green. However most plants are, and there’s a good reason for this. Chlorophyll is the pigment that creates that wonderful green color we see in so much foliage. Its primary purpose in plants isn’t coloration, however, but a host of other processes that allow plants to grow and thrive. By learning a bit more about chlorophyll, we can better understand how our plants live and grow and what conditions allow them to thrive. So let’s dig in and explore chlorophyll, why plants are green, and why all matters.
Gardzen TL;DR Summary:
· Chlorophyll is a complex chemical compound found in most plants, along with some other organisms.
· There are a number of different kind of chlorophyll, all of which appear green in color.
· Chlorophyll is the substance that enable photosynthesis, the process by which plants turn light energy into chemical energy.
· The type and quantity of chlorophyll in a species of plant is part of what determines how much sun or light it needs to grow and thrive.
What is Chlorophyll?
It’s always good to start with definitions, so let’s look at what chlorophyll is exactly before we explore what it does. Chlorophyll is the category name for several closely related green pigments that are found in a number of types of organisms including plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. There are several different types of chlorophyll, including Chlorophyll a, Chlorophyll b, Chlorophyll c1 and c2, Chlorophyll d, and Chlorophyll f. We’re not going to dig into the distinctions between them, as that’s a lot more science than we can fit into a single blog. The key takeaway is that chlorophyll molecules are fairly complex, composed of hydrocarbons, nitrogen, oxygen, and magnesium, and that they appear green because they absorb the blue and red wavelengths of light, particularly sunlight. While different types of chlorophyll absorb blue and red light to varying degrees, the fact that they do so is important as it’s why plants produce chlorophyll in the first place.
So what do plants do with the various kinds of chlorophyll they produce? That’s where it gets interesting—and relevant for us gardeners!
The Role of Chlorophyll in Plant Health
The header is a bit understated. Chlorophyll doesn’t contribute to plant health so much as it’s absolutely essential for the life of most types of plants. This is another key takeaway: chlorophyll is essential for photosynthesis, which is the process by which plants absorb energy from light. Photosynthesis is another complex process, but the basic idea to remember is that it converts light energy into chemical energy, allowing plants to create and store carbohydrates for energy, convert carbon dioxide into the carbon they need, and then to discard the oxygen they don’t need.
That last bit is important too. As you’ve probably noticed, most animals including humans need oxygen to survive. Photosynthesis in photosynthetic organisms make that possible by turning carbon dioxide—which we exhale—into oxygen, which we then inhale. So not only is chlorophyll necessary for plant life, but it’s keeping the rest of us alive as well.
So now that we know how chlorophyll works and what it does, what does this mean for our gardens? That’s even more interesting, so let’s keep going!
Chlorophyll, Sunlight, and Garden Plants
Plants need a number of things to survive: the right temperature and humidity, the right amount of water, nutrition, and sunlight. All of these factors work together, and each type or species of plant needs them in the correct proportions. While no one part is more important than the other, photosynthesis is where they come together. The type of chlorophyll in a given species of plant is the reason it has the sunlight requirements that it does. By meeting those requirements, we can help our plants thrive, grow, and look their best. It sounds simple, but it’s another reason to read the plant tag or label that came with your plant/seedling/seeds, or do some research on our blog or visiting the library. Don’t forget your local garden club and cooperative extension; they can tell you a lot about sunlight conditions in your climate zone and how you can choose the right plants for your space.
There’s a lot more to say about this, but the goal for us in this blog is to give you a basic understanding of chlorophyll and photosynthesis and the role they play in plant life. We’re gardeners, not botanists or chemistry professors, so we’re still learning ourselves. If you have any questions, please share them so we can keep learning together. Gardzen is all about community and we love to hear from you!
Interesting read!
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