Some Science

Leaves truly add the finishing touches to nature.  In Spring and Summer they are all green, yet in single or in mass they give their plant species their identity.  In Autumn they paint a full color landscape painting.  In Winter many fall and fertilize our soil, reminding us that they will return.

Deciduous trees drop their leaves each year.  For the most part their leaves are broad and their wood is hard.  Evergreen trees on the other hand hold their leaves, maybe dropping their leaves every few years.  Most of the evergreens have needle-like leaves.  Exceptions include the Holly, Rhododendron and Mountain Laurel.  Most of the evergreens are conifers or cone-bearing (the exceptions are the broad-leafed evergreens).  Conifers have relatively soft wood and do not have broad leaves.  The Tamarack (or American Larch) is also an exception.  It is a needle bearing tree that drops its leaves every year.

Don’t panic if your ornamental pine sheds its inside needles.  Far from dying, shedding its inside needles is normal for the Eastern White Pine.
 

 

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