What Does Deciduous Mean?
A deciduous tree drops its leaves at the end of the growing season.
By contrast, trees that areevergreenretain foliage throughout the year.
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What’s Happening When a Tree Loses Its Leaves?
The abscission layer behaves like a pair of scissors, pushing against the stem and cutting the leaf off.
The cut is then sealed so that no moisture can be lost during the winter.
Fun Fact
Foliage changes color in the fall because of a subtraction, not an addition.
Chlorophyll masks colors that reflect the presence of other chemicals in the leaves.
The fall color we enjoy so much is the result of an unmasking.
Since chlorophyll is necessary for photosynthesis, the leaves become useless to the tree long before they fall off.
But that’s not how the tree “sees” it.
For the tree, leaf shedding is a strategy for surviving the winter.
After the ground freezes, your plants can get quite thirsty.
Above-ground water is also locked up in the form of snow and ice.
To survive, plants must develop strategies that allow them to conserve moisture and survive the winter drought.
What Is Dormancy?
Dormancyis a state of temporary metabolic inactivity or minimal activity in a plant.
The needle on an evergreen is much tougher than the leaf on a deciduous tree.
This is partly due to its shape and size.
With less surface area, there is less chance for moisture loss.
Moreover, these needles have a waxy coating that makes them better able to withstand freezing temperatures.
