Sasha K. (Belogorsk)

In what period does leaf fall begin and end in linden and birch?

As September approaches, the trees gradually begin to change their summer emerald green leaf color to autumn yellow. A little more time will pass and all the golden foliage will flow to the ground. Observing nature, people often wonder: when does leaf fall end for birch, linden, maple and other favorite yellowing trees? Let's try to answer this question.

When the leaves turn yellow

The foliage begins to change color long before the first frost. As a rule, this happens at the end of August, when the days have already noticeably shortened and it has become a little colder, and lasts for 14-20 days. At first, only isolated gray-yellow areas are visible on the branches, but day after day they become more and more numerous.

By mid-September, the birch leaves become ocher-golden and gradually begin to fall off. The branches of the maple are no less beautiful at this time. The crowns of the tree are covered with foliage in yellow, brick-red, red and even purple shades. The linden foliage, which is only half yellowed, stands out noticeably.

The beginning of leaf fall

For many trees, leaf fall occurs unevenly, that is, it happens at different times. For example, after the first hard frost, leaves begin to fall on linden and maple trees. By this time the birch had already dropped most leaves. Its leaf fall begins in the first ten days of September and lasts 15-20 days.

Important! The beginning of leaf fall depends on the weather. Dry sunny weather and windless days delay the golden decoration of the trees.

Leaf fall is especially abundant after the third frost. The leaves fall to the ground very thickly, forming a thick mat on the ground. Birch trees drop about 30 kg of leaves in the fall. In mature linden and maple this amount reaches 40-50 kg.

The end of leaf fall

The end of leaf fall is usually accompanied by significant cooling, worsening weather conditions, frequent rains and strong gusts of wind. By October 7-10, linden and birch trees lose their last yellow leaves. Maples become bare much later, only by October 20. Single leaves can remain on the branches until mid-November, reminding passersby of the past golden time of the year.

Observations of nature during leaf fall

The period of active leaf fall is accompanied by significant cooling and the arrival of night frosts. Summer white clouds are replaced by a solid gray veil. There is often fog in the morning. The first flocks of migratory birds take to the sky.

The end of leaf fall in the linden and maple trees is accompanied by gloomy rainy weather, frost on the still green grass and thin ice on the puddles. Rooks gather in flocks and fly south. Gradually the earth cools down and nature falls asleep.

Autumn leaf fall: video

When the days become shorter and the sun no longer generously shares its warmth with the earth, one of the most beautiful times of the year begins - autumn. She, like a mysterious sorceress, changes the world around her and fills it with rich and unusual colors. These miracles occur most noticeably with plants and shrubs. They are one of the first to respond to weather changes and the onset of autumn. They have three whole months ahead to prepare for winter and part with their main decorations - leaves. However, first, the trees will certainly delight everyone around with the play of color and the madness of colors, and the fallen leaves will carefully cover the earth with their blanket and protect its smallest inhabitants from severe frosts.

Autumn changes in trees and shrubs, the reasons for these phenomena

In autumn, one of the most important changes in the life of trees and shrubs occurs: a change in the color of foliage and leaf fall. Each of these phenomena helps them prepare for winter and survive such a harsh time of year.

For deciduous trees and shrubs, one of the main problems in the winter season is the lack of moisture, so in the fall all the beneficial substances begin to accumulate in the roots and core, and the leaves fall off. Leaf fall helps not only to increase moisture reserves, but also to save them. The fact is that leaves evaporate liquid very strongly, which is very wasteful in winter. Coniferous trees, in turn, can afford to show off their needles even in the cold season, since the evaporation of liquid from them occurs very slowly.

Another reason for leaf fall is the high risk for branches to be broken under the pressure of a snow cap. If fluffy snow fell not only on the branches themselves, but also on their leaves, they would not be able to withstand such a heavy load.

In addition, many harmful substances accumulate in the leaves over time, which can only be gotten rid of when the leaves fall.

One of the recently uncovered mysteries is the fact that deciduous trees, placed in a warm environment, and therefore not needing preparation for cold weather, also shed their leaves. This suggests that leaf fall is not so much associated with the change of seasons and preparation for winter, but is an important part of the life cycle of trees and shrubs.

Why do leaves change color in autumn?

With the onset of autumn, trees and shrubs decide to change the emerald color of their leaves to brighter and more unusual colors. At the same time, each tree has its own set of pigments - “paints”. These changes occur because the leaves contain a special substance, chlorophyll, which turns light into nutrients and gives the foliage green color. When a tree or shrub begins to store moisture and it no longer reaches the emerald leaves, and the sunny day becomes much shorter, chlorophyll begins to break down into other pigments, which give the autumn world crimson and golden tones.

The brightness of autumn colors depends on weather conditions. If the weather is sunny and relatively warm, the autumn leaves will be bright and variegated, and if it rains often, then they will be brown or dull yellow.

How the leaves of different trees and shrubs change color in autumn

Autumn owes its riot of colors and their unearthly beauty to the fact that the foliage of all trees has different combinations of colors and shades. The most common color of the leaves is purplish. Maple and aspen boast a crimson color. These trees are very beautiful in autumn.

The leaves of birch become light yellow, and those of oak, ash, linden, hornbeam and hazel become brownish-yellow.

Hazel (hazel)

The poplar quickly sheds its foliage; it just begins to turn yellow and has already fallen off.

Shrubs also delight with the variety and brightness of colors. Their foliage turns yellow, purple or red. Vine leaves (grapes are shrubs) acquire a unique dark purple color.

The leaves of barberry and cherry stand out against the general background with a crimson-red hue.

Barberry

Rowan leaves can be yellow to red in autumn.

The viburnum leaves turn red along with the berries.

Euonymus dresses in purple clothes.

The red and purple shades of foliage are determined by the pigment anthocyanin. An interesting fact is that it is completely absent from the leaves and can only be formed under the influence of cold. This means that the colder the days, the more crimson the surrounding leafy world will be.

However, there are plants that not only in autumn, but also in winter, retain their foliage and remain green. Thanks to such trees and shrubs, the winter landscape comes to life, and many animals and birds find their home in them. In the northern regions, such trees include pine, spruce and cedar. To the south the number of such plants is even greater. Among them are trees and shrubs: juniper, myrtle, thuja, barberry, cypress, boxwood, mountain laurel, abelia.

Evergreen tree - spruce

Some deciduous shrubs also do not part with their emerald clothing. These include cranberries and lingonberries. On Far East There is an interesting wild rosemary plant, the leaves of which do not change color in the fall, but curl up into a tube in the fall and fall off.

Why do the leaves fall but there are no needles?

Leaves play an important role in the life of trees and shrubs. They help create and store nutrients and also accumulate mineral components. However, in winter, when there is an acute lack of light, and, therefore, nutrition, the leaves only increase the consumption of useful components and cause excessive evaporation of moisture.

Coniferous plants, which most often grow in areas with a rather harsh climate, are in great need of nutrition, so they do not shed their needles, which act as leaves. The needles are perfectly adapted to cold weather. The needles contain a lot of chlorophyll pigment, which converts nutrients from light. In addition, they have a small area, which significantly reduces the evaporation of much-needed moisture from their surface in winter. The needles are protected from the cold by a special wax coating, and thanks to the substance they contain, they do not freeze even in severe frosts. The air that the needles capture creates a kind of insulating layer around the tree.

The only coniferous plant that leaves its needles for the winter is larch. It appeared in ancient times, when summers were very hot and winters incredibly frosty. This climate feature led to the fact that the larch began to shed its needles and there was no need to protect them from the cold.

Leaf fall, as a seasonal phenomenon, occurs in each plant at its own specific time. It depends on the type of tree, its age and climate.

Poplar and oak are the first to part with their leaves, then the time comes for rowan. The apple tree is one of the last to shed its leaves, and even in winter, there may still be a few leaves left on it.

Poplar leaf fall begins at the end of September, and by mid-October it completely ends. Young trees retain their foliage longer and turn yellow later.

The oak begins to lose its leaves at the beginning of September and after a month it completely loses its crown. If frosts start earlier, leaf fall occurs much faster. Along with the oak leaves, acorns also begin to fall off.

Rowan begins its leaf fall in early October and continues to delight with its pink leaves until November 1st. It is believed that after the rowan leaves its last leaves, dank, chilly days begin.

The leaves on the apple tree begin to turn golden by September 20th. By the end of this month, leaf fall begins. The last leaves fall from the apple tree in the second half of October.

Evergreen plants and shrubs do not lose their foliage even with the onset of cold weather, as do ordinary deciduous trees. Permanent leaf cover allows them to survive any weather conditions and maintain a maximum supply of nutrients. Of course, such trees and shrubs renew their leaves, but this process occurs gradually and almost imperceptibly.

Evergreens do not shed all their leaves at once for several reasons. Firstly, then they do not have to spend large reserves of nutrients and energy to grow young leaves in the spring, and secondly, their constant presence ensures continuous nutrition of the trunk and roots. Most often, evergreen trees and shrubs grow in areas with a mild and warm climate, where the weather is warm even in winter, however, they are also found in harsh climatic conditions. These plants are most common in tropical rainforests.

Evergreen plants such as cypresses, spruce trees, eucalyptus trees, some types of evergreen oaks, and rhodendron can be found over a wide area from harsh Siberia to the forests of South America.

One of the most beautiful evergreens is the blue fan palm, which grows in California.

The Mediterranean oleander shrub is distinguished by its unusual appearance and height of more than 3 meters.

Another evergreen shrub is gardenia jasmine. Its homeland is China.

Autumn is one of the most beautiful and vibrant times of the year. Flashes of purple and golden leaves preparing to cover the ground with a multi-colored carpet, coniferous trees piercing the first snow with their thin needles and evergreens, always pleasing to the eye, make the autumn world even more delightful and unforgettable. Nature is gradually preparing for winter and does not even suspect how fascinating these preparations are to the eye.

Each plant has its own duration of leaf fall, but leaf fall itself can be observed in different terms depending on weather conditions in late summer and autumn. The literature reports that in middle lane In Russia, the beginning of leaf fall is observed in the second half of September, and ends by mid-October. At the same time, there are trees that fall off literally in two weeks, for example, linden, and there are trees whose leaf fall is very long. For example, birch trees begin to color yellow at the end of August, the first birch leaves appear on the paths of parks, in forests, on the sidewalk in the city at the beginning of September, and after that the birch trees can retain their foliage until the end of October. The duration of leaf fall is about two months... Our observations also confirm the fact that under certain weather conditions the tree can fly around in a few hours. This fall we observed a massive fall of leaves on one very windy day; the next morning many of the observed trees flew off (maple, several birches).

This fall, we believe that the main leaf fall ended by the end of October, and not by the middle. The beginning of autumn was unusually warm. On October 28-29, most of the trees in our study area were leafless. Some birches, several poplars, and all types of willows retain their foliage. At the same time, it is interesting that the five-stamen willow does not yet acquire autumn color; its leaves fall green. The lilac leaves and cherry leaves did not fall off or change color (they are also still green on almost all trees). But the most interesting thing is the behavior of the European linden. For Moscow, this is an alien species. Unlike small-leaved linden - our local species, which turns yellow early and flies away quickly, foreign lindens are green, in full foliage. The leaves gradually fall off without changing color. Also, the larch leaves have not yet finished falling.

For example, this is what our yards look like now. The one that turns yellow far ahead is the birch tree.

In this photo, on the left side there is a group of larches and a lonely yellow and not falling chestnut (all the others in the area have long since flown around), and with right side- two birches.

Tell us about the timing of leaf fall in your region in the comments!

Already in the first days of September, the trees clearly show characteristic features another time of year. They are carried by the inevitably approaching autumn. Each type of tree falls at its own time.

Features of leaf fall

Watching the trees, you involuntarily begin to think, when does leaf fall end for linden, rowan, apple trees and other plants? Leaf fall is an uneven phenomenon, its duration is estimated at several weeks. Multi-colored foliage is in no hurry to leave the crowns. The colorful leaves seem to reluctantly leave the branches one by one.

Abundant leaf fall occurs at the end of September and beginning of October (until the first ten days have passed). Leaves, caught by the third and subsequent frosts, fall off en masse. Thick leaf fall covers the ground with a colorful carpet.

The leaves, flying vertically, gently fall to the ground, covering it with a thick litter that saves the rhizomes from freezing. The slantingly rushing leaves play bright And the picked up gusty wind, having had enough of a spin, they find a safe haven.

The beginning of leaf fall

The linden crowns begin to blaze with autumn colors long before the first frost arrives. In the last days of August, single strands colored in grayish-yellow tones can be seen among the branches. The proportion of colored leaves increases daily, and the color palette becomes more intense. A noticeable gilding creeps onto the crowns of the linden trees. And after 14-20 days the foliage begins to burn golden.

By this time, birches put on an ocher-yellow outfit. The foliage is red with red. Ash tree crowns shine with pale honey tones. Oak leaves are filled with brown colors. Pink leaves glow in the lacy crowns of rowan trees. And the rosehip thickets flash with a wine-red color scheme.

By the time the linden leaves fall, and this happens no earlier than September 23, the crowns of other trees are already actively exposed. The first leaves of birch, aspen, maple and hazel trees fell on September 14th. Intense leaf fall in linden trees occurs following the first frost that pierces the air, which usually happens on September 27th.

First, linden trees lose leaves from large branches located below. Then the foliage falls off from the middle of the crown. The tops of linden trees are the last to be exposed. In elm, ash and hazel trees, on the contrary, the upper branches are exposed first.

The end of leaf fall

By October 7, linden trees lose their last leaves. At the moment when the leaf fall of the linden tree ended, they didn’t even think about exposing their thick crowns together with the alder. Their leaves do not change color; they remain green until the first fluffy snow falls. Their foliage, caught in a strong frost, instantly turns black. It is difficult for crispy frozen leaves to stay on the branches; they quickly fall to the ground.

By the time the leaf fall ends at the linden tree, the elm and bird cherry trees are completely bare. Their leaf fall ends by September 24th. Aspens are ahead of linden trees; their leaf fall ends on October 5th. Birches, maples and hazel trees are in no hurry to part with their foliage. A few leaves remain on them until October 15.

Natural phenomena during linden leaf fall

The period of linden leaf fall is accompanied by the arrival of cold fronts and night frosts. Cumulus clouds replaced by a continuous veil and grayish haze. Flocks of birds appear in the sky, flying south. After September 27, cranes in slender flocks stretch across the sky in a southern direction.

And when the leaves of the linden tree end, the half-naked crowns of other trees blaze with the brightest contrasting colors. Rooks, huddled in friendly flocks, fly away to warmer climes. Snow dust swirls in the air. Falling snowflakes do not yet fall to the ground, do not dust its surface. The puddles are twitching with thin ice. The skies are dirty greyish shades, devoid of clouds, turning into a gloomy film of rain.

Let's start in order, as the questions are asked in the textbook, to fill out the observation diary. Just remember that for different terrain autumn changes occur at different times.

The leaf fall of the linden ended on October 7, the leaf fall of birches almost ended on October 10, the last leaves fell from the poplars on October 1, the lilac retained its foliage until October 24.

On September 10, a flock of swifts flew south, and the river became unusually quiet. From September 20 to October 10, almost every day flocks of ducks and geese fly south.

In September, you can still find hedgehogs, mice, and squirrels in the forest; if the day is warm, then snakes even crawl out onto the paths.

With the loss of foliage, the autumn forest becomes transparent, light and cold rains often fall, but a few mushroom pickers still roam the forest.

The world around us, grade 3: How to correctly fill out a diary of observations of autumn nature in a scientific diary?

1. Observe and write down (day of the month) when the first frost occurred.
2. When did the puddles first become covered with ice?
3. Write down when the first snow fell?
4. 4. Mark when the river, lake, pond became covered with ice?
5. Write down in which month the birch trees ended leaf fall __ , at the linden trees __, in other trees___ what are their names.
6. When did flocks of migratory birds appear?
7. What animals did you see in the fall?
8. Other observations?

How fortunate that today I can quite accurately fill in some of the columns of this observation diary.

For example, today, September 27, the puddles in the morning were covered with the first ice, although the first frosts began two days ago on September 25.

The situation with the first snow is even more curious; for us it fell on September 24 and it was very unexpected.

Rivers in our region become covered with ice only by the end of October, or even at the beginning of November, although lakes with standing water certainly become covered with ice earlier in mid-October.

The leaf fall of birches begins in early September, but finally ends only in October, let it be the 10th. Around the same time, linden trees lose their leaves. But aspen and poplar fly around by the end of September, on the 28th-30th.

The first flocks of migratory birds moved south in early September; these were swallows and swifts, and songbirds. Now, in the 20th of September, ducks fly south.

When I recently went for honey mushrooms, I discovered that the autumn forest was still alive. Mice were scurrying about in the fallen grass, it was warm and frogs were jumping, and once a chipmunk crawled out onto a stump and screamed shrilly, something of his own.

In September you can still pick mushrooms, although it is difficult to find boletuses and saffron caps under the fallen leaves, but honey mushrooms have occupied numerous stumps in the neighboring forest.