There's a poetic name for the phenomenon of winter leaf retention in trees, "marcescence." This word comes from the Latin verb "to shrivel." And shrivel these leaves do, but fall they don't.

Back then, researchers were speculating, as now, about why some trees hold onto their leaves all winter. I assumed that by now, someone would have figured this out. Nope, this didn't happen.

Key points. Some trees hold on to their leaves every winter. We are often like those trees. We hold on, no matter how cold it is, or how hard the wind blows.

We also noticed a 3-foot-tall shagbark hickory that was holding onto its leaves, which can occur in younger trees. My sister’s Japanese maple is awash with brown curly leaves, even in February.

In the fall, deciduous trees shed their leaves as a protective measure to prepare for the upcoming winter cold. Deciduous trees include oaks, maples, birches and willows, and any other tree you ...

Yellowing leaves is a great indicator of a sick tree. Mold is another. If you see either of these, bring a sample to your local nursery for help diagnosing and treating your trees.

This winter, the North Hollywood weather station — which is closer to my residence than any of the other 273 such stations throughout California — recorded well over 400 winter chill hours ...