The different colors of colored leaf plants are mainly affected by the genetic factors and the external environment. Therefore, revealing the coloring mechanism of colored plants from the molecular level has important theoretical and practical significance for selecting new varieties of colored plants and the application of colored plants. At present, the research on the coloration mechanism of colored leaf plants mainly focuses on pigment changes, photosynthetic characteristics, leaf structure and environmental conditions in leaves. In this paper, the research progress of chlorophyll metabolic pathway, carotenoid metabolic pathway, secondary metabolic pathway, photosynthesis and chloroplast development related structural genes and transcription factors regulation mechanism in leaf of colored leaf plant were summarized, and the future research directions were prospected. It provides a theoretical basis for cultivating new varieties of colored leaf plants, and provides reference for artificially regulating leaf color and directed genetic improvement of colored leaf plants.