The Year The Leaves Refused To Fall

Decent looking specimen (a maple) at Innis Arden Golf Club, leaves still standing!

For argument’s sake, lets agree that the season known as “Fall” got its name from the fact that leaves fall to the ground around this time of year, shall we? Not too much of a stretch, is it? Good.

But what about all these non-cooperative trees that refuse to play along? Oaks and beeches are the main culprits, but I’ve spotted some other renegades around town. Here it is, Thanksgiving, for heaven’s sake, and loads and loads of leaves are hanging in there, refusing to budge.

“Why, Gid, tell us why”, I hear a few of you plead.

Here then is the answer. It comes from Michael Snyder, of Northern Woodlands Magazine, who admits that, pretty much no one knows the answer. Guesses range from trees holding on to leaves so they can drop ’em in the Spring to self-fertilize (please), retaining leaves to provide “frost protection” for emerging buds (yeah, right), and finally (get this) “to camouflage emerging buds from marauding deer”.

Pure hokum, obviously. Clearly, Snyder is stumped. But perhaps some of you thoughtful readers can chime in on the subject?

The view from Binney Park, couple of days ago. Don’t these trees know what time of year it is??