Serving Hohenwald, Lewis County Tennessee Since 1898

WHEN OAKS HANG ONTO THEIR DEAD LEAVES

"The leaves are all dead on the ground, save those that the oak is keeping, to ravel them one by one, and let them go scraping and creeping out over the crusted snow, while others are sleeping ". Robert Frost

When trees hang onto their leaves, it's called marcescence. Marcescence is the phenomenon where certain trees and plants, such as oaks, retain their dead leaves through the winter instead of shedding them in autumn. This occurs because the abscission layer, which normally allows leaves to detach, doesn't fully develop. The exact reasons for marcescence are not entirely known, but several...

 

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