Leaves: Same Same
March 10, 2017
Around here (coastal south central Florida) there are few deciduous trees. In some areas in winter—at least that I’ve noticed—the only leaves that fall seem to be those of the live and laurel oak trees. To this northerner, that seems strange, used as I am to the variety of leaves that fall at once in autumn up north. The other thing that’s unusual to these eyes is that the oak trees lose their old leaves at the same time that they put forth new ones. The trees are never bare. And should I mention that these leaves do not look like what I think of as oak leaves? No spiky uneven margins here, but something more like a squat willow leaf. For me, one of the biggest pleasures of travel is seeing plant life that does not look like the plant life I grew up with. This path with oak leaves and the shadow of an oak tree is in the Venice Myakka River Park. I stopped to take the photo on the way to catching up with Lynda and her first big find of the day (coming up soon).
Romancing Reality 
This is a wonderful shot with the leaves and tree shadow. Beautifully done.
When I moved to Minnesota I noticed a lot of Pin Oak trees that keep all of their leaves, even in winter, though the leaves turn brown in fall. In the spring, the old leaves fall, almost all at once, and new leaves start to bud. We have the Pin Oak in western New York too, but they don’t seem to be as plentiful as in Minnesota. They’re very pretty trees all year.
LikeLike
March 10, 2017 at 1:42 PM
Thank you, Ken. Around northern Ohio not only pin oaks keep their leaves in the winter. Botanist husband says it’s the young oak trees that do that. (Didn’t ask him to define “young.”) This was one of those shots I wasn’t sure was worth sharing, so I’m especially glad you like it.
LikeLike
March 12, 2017 at 9:16 PM
I like it very much, and I agree, it’s a huge pleasure to wonder at the plant life of different places. I think there are oaks in California – dry habitat trees – that don’t have those “classic” eastern oak leaves, either. But look at the gorgeous silhouettes they have.
https://www.google.com/search?q=california+oak+trees&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjtx6vOrM3SAhUX9WMKHZPCBXkQ_AUIBigB&biw=1920&bih=940
LikeLike
March 10, 2017 at 8:58 PM
Wow, those are gorgeous Californian oaks.
LikeLike
March 12, 2017 at 9:23 PM
The light and shadow create a delightful mesh within which these leaves lay. Minimalist and beautiful. In the UK Beech hedges will hang on to their leaves right through winter until the new leaves start to shoot. I’ve no idea why, as the tall Beech trees shed theirs as per normal.
LikeLike
March 12, 2017 at 1:31 PM
I love the way you describe this photo, Andy! The beech trees on the property of our former home kept some leaves in the winter, too. I’m trying to remember how large the trees were, and i can’t. Bigger than what I’d call a hedge, though.
LikeLike
March 12, 2017 at 9:28 PM