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5.29.0 Accessibility statementSkip to main content Democracy Dies in Darkness SubscribeSign in Hidden Planet A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF A LEAF Explore a leaf’s magical transformations across seasons. Warning: This graphic requires JavaScript. Please enable JavaScript for the best experience. By Kasha Patel and Emily Wright Illustrations by Rosalie Haizlett for The Washington Post November 1, 2024 at 6:12 a.m. EDT 7 min 112 Sorry, a summary is not available for this article at this time. Please try again later. Leaf by leaf, a tree captures the ever-changing, cyclical nature of our environment. Leaves on a tree are the reason we can breathe and rest in a cool spot on a sunny day. Their role is critical to our everyday lives, but it’s also worth admiring the special day-to-day actions that allow them to flourish on our planet. “The life cycle of a leaf is pretty magical,” said Andy Finton, a forest ecologist with the Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts. It has allowed trees “to survive and thrive though hot summers and cold winters,” he said. Trees make adjustments depending on their location and climate. Evergreen trees, like pine, spruce and fir, are often found in cool, temperate regions; they keep their leaves and remain green throughout the year. Story continues below advertisement Advertisement Trees that are deciduous — roughly translating to “falling off” in Latin — lose all of their leaves for part of the year. These broad-leafed trees are typically found in temperate regions, such as the eastern United States and western Europe. From bud to bloom, many leaves of deciduous trees experience a lifetime in just a year. Their shifts in shape, color and size across seasons are on display for everyone to witness. Internally, the leaves are undergoing chemical transformations. Follow along as we illustrate the conspicuous and not-so-conspicuous annual changes in deciduous trees. leafcycle large (Rosalie Haizlett for The Washington Post) SPRING Springtime is the season of new beginnings. Baby leaves are already inside buds, which formed months ago. As daylight and temperatures increase, the waterproof scales around the buds fall off. The tiny leaves and flowers swell and join the world. As the tender leaves grow, they produce a red pigment called anthocyanin that helps protect the leaf from receiving too much solar radiation and getting damaged, said Finton. Each leaf also turns into a kitchen for the tree. Leaves produce a chemical called chlorophyll, which provides the green color and helps absorb energy for the plant to make food. The food-making process, called photosynthesis, turns sunlight and carbon dioxide into oxygen that we breathe. It also produces sugar, which nourishes the plant so it can become food for all — even us, sometimes. The leaves are full-size by mid-spring, although a warmer winter can push the leaves to appear earlier. By summer, it’s their time to thrive. leafcycle lg (Rosalie Haizlett for The Washington Post) SUMMER Leaves will be at peak green and more will flourish to soak up the sun and produce more food. Some leaves may appear darker because they build up tannins — the chemical that makes your tea look brown — to fend off insects. The bad taste of the tannins, Finton said, wards off insects from eating the leaves. As trees bask in the sun, they start their winter preparations. As daylight begins to decrease after the summer solstice, the trees begin to ramp down photosynthesis and absorb nitrogen back from their leaves. Nitrogen allows the tree to produce compounds that can protect its cells from freezing. Over half of a leaf’s nitrogen is sent to a tree’s woody tissues by the end of September, according to the National Park Service. Buds for the following year also start forming in the summer and over the next few months. As summers grow hotter due to climate change, the timing of a tree’s growth is changing. Research has shown that abnormally warm temperatures before the summer solstice can boost growth, but trees also stop providing nutrients to their leaves earlier in the season in northern forests. Droughts and extreme heat events can also cause some leaves to shrivel and die before they have a chance to show off their beautiful colors in autumn. In Arizona, researchers documented how one ponderosa pine appeared to stop growing midway through the season last year after record heat. leafcycle (Rosalie Haizlett for The Washington Post) AUTUMN Trees don’t need a calendar to know it’s time to shed their leaves. Although temperature and rain is important, the primary trigger of the vibrant fall leaf colors is reduced sunlight. As daylight hours decrease, the leaves have less sunlight to make food. Much like a bear preparing to hibernate for the winter, the tree continues to compile its resources to make it through the upcoming cold season. That includes breaking down compounds such as chlorophyll and sending those nutrients back to the trunk and roots to be used next spring. “In the fall, the trees have evolved an adaptation strategy to maintain nutrients and prevent damage,” said Finton. When the leaves lose their green chlorophyll, they reveal their true colors: the natural orange and yellows (produced by pigments called carotenoids). The colors of a leaf depends on the type of pigments it contains. Story continues below advertisement Advertisement leafcycle lg (Rosalie Haizlett for The Washington Post) Under the dwindling sunlight, the leaves produce sugars during the day that are then trapped inside by longer, cooler nights. The sugars lead to the production of pigments, such as anthocyanins, which add an extra punch of brilliant red to the newly unveiled yellow and orange leaves. Oaks, maples and dogwoods are known for their red leaves. While the leaves are losing their green color, the tree is also physically sealing itself off from the harsh outdoor elements. New cells form what is called an abscission layer at the base of the leaf, which cuts off the leaf’s attachment to the tree. This stops shuttling water into the leaf and exporting carbohydrates back to the tree. The leaves eventually completely detach from the tree and die. Over the past few decades, scientists have found that leaves are delaying their color changes in some parts of the U.S. Northeast by a week or so because of climate change. Warmer temperatures extending longer into fall, especially at night, affect production of the red anthocyanin pigments. Warm autumns can also degrade pigments and dull the leaf colors. leafcycle lg (Rosalie Haizlett for The Washington Post) WINTER Evergreen trees, such as pines, spruces and cedars, are able to withstand harsh winter conditions. The waxy coating on their needlelike leaves allows them to conserve water. Plus, fluid inside their cells can resist freezing. These trees tend to keep their leaves for a long time, losing them eventually to old age. But for a deciduous tree, winter is a time to rest. The leaves have fallen and nutrients are safely stored inside the tree. If the leaves were to stay on during the cold season, they would become crisp and lose all of their nutrients. “It’s a water-saving technique and a nutrient-saving technique to send those nutrients back into the stem in the roots,” said Finton. As the leaves lie on the ground, they decompose and return nutrients back to earth. They also provide a habitat for wildlife, such as lizards, turtles, frogs and insects, looking for a place to take cover during the winter. The buds that started to grow on the tree also take cover. Just as people need a blanket, the buds are wrapped in a tough waterproof casing to protect its valuables from the harsh elements outside. The outer casing falls off as temperatures rise in the spring, and the bud bursts open and grows. The cycle begins again. ABOUT THIS STORY Illustrations by Rosalie Haizlett for The Washington Post. Editing by Katie Zezima and Joe Moore. Copy editing by Rebecca Branford. MORE ON CLIMATE CHANGE Understanding our climate: Global warming is a real phenomenon, and weather disasters are undeniably linked to it. As temperatures rise, heat waves are more often sweeping the globe — and parts of the world are becoming too hot to survive. What can be done? The Post is tracking a variety of climate solutions, as well as the Biden administration’s actions on environmental issues. It can feel overwhelming facing the impacts of climate change, but there are ways to cope with climate anxiety. Inventive solutions: Some people have built off-the-grid homes from trash to stand up to a changing climate. As seas rise, others are exploring how to harness marine energy. What about your role in climate change? Our climate coach Michael J. Coren is answering questions about environmental choices in our everyday lives. Submit yours here. You can also sign up for our Climate Coach newsletter. Climate change and global warming Hand-curated Pollution fueling a sex imbalance among endangered green sea turtles November 26, 2023 This Fox News host gives climate skeptics airtime but went solar at homeOctober 25, 2023 How humans have altered the Earth enough to start a new chapter of geologic timeJune 20, 2023 View all 20 stories 112 Comments Kasha PatelKasha Patel writes the weekly Hidden Planet column, which covers scientific topics related to Earth, from our inner core to space storms aimed at our planet. She also covers weather, climate and environment news.@KashaPatel Follow Emily WrightEmily Wright is a designer and art director on The Washington Post's climate and environment team.@_emilywright_ Follow Subscribe to comment and get the full experience. 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