Marcescence
Marcescence
Some trees, mainly oak trees, don’t drop their dead withered leaves in fall but wait until new growth pushes them off in spring. This is called marcesence. But this year, we had a warm fall and then, just like someone switched off a light, it was suddenly winter. The abscission zone at the base of the leaf stalks didn’t have time to form during the transition from fall to winter, so the leaves hung on.
I tend to be marcescent as well, except that my period of marcescence is from winter to spring. I keep my Christmas decorations up longer than most people, repurposing many of them into winterscapes. I don’t feel the need to take them down until I start getting all excited about spring. I start sowing seeds, buying summer bulbs, planning what I’ll add to my garden, and walking my property nearly daily hoping to see the first spring bulb poke up its head or the first hellebore bud open.
At that point, the new pushes out the old. I look at my remaining Christmas and winter décor with a critical eye and it suddenly seems so outdated. I have newfound energy to clear it all out and make space for everything springtime. Like this year’s NW Flower and Garden Show*, it’s “Spring Vibes Only” for me!
Isaiah 43:19
