Deciduous Tree Facts

Deciduous trees lose their leaves once a year.
In cool places, deciduous trees lose their leaves in autumn to cut their need for water in winter when water may be frozen.
In the tropics deciduous trees lose their leaves at the start of the dry season.
Leaves fall because a layer of cork grows across the leaf stalk, gradually cutting off its water supply.
Eventually the leaf is only hanging on by its veins, and is easily blown off by the wind.
Leaves go brown and other colors in autumn because their green chlorophyll breaks down, letting other pigments shine through instead.
Among the most spectacular autumn colors are those of the sweet gum tree, which was brought to Europe from Mexico c.1570.
The main deciduous trees found in cool climates are oaks, beeches, birches, chestnuts, aspens, elms, maples and lindens.
Most deciduous trees are broad-leaved, but five conifer groups including larches are deciduous.
Some tropical evergreen trees are deciduous in regions where there is a marked dry season.

This entry is filed under Interesting Facts.