Tuesday Terminology: Deciduous and Evergreen

A plant i.d. blog must be more that photos and results, it must also encompass some part of the identification process. While I am not specifically detailing how I determine the identity of each plant reviewed, I try to give clues along the way that will help you recognize that same plant when you encounter it in the landscape. Each plant is unique and possesses a collection of traits that determine how it is classified and named. I am going to start simple and just focus on one or two terms per week. This is undoubtedly review for many of you, but I would like this blog to be enjoyed by plant enthusiasts of all levels, and helpful for those of you who are just starting out.

• Deciduous: a plant that loses all or most of its leaves for the winter.

(Latin) Caducus: falling, or dropping off early

• Evergreen: A plant that retains its leaves all year round, except for normal shedding of old leaves or needles.

(Latin)Sempervirens: always green

(Latin) Perhiemens: persisting through the winter, remaining all winter

• Semi-evergreen: refers to a plant that is less consistent from year to year or climate to climate. This plant may lose some or all of its leaves one year and retain them all the following year. Alternatively it may be a plant that loses all of its leaves in a cold climate and only loses some leaves in a warmer climate Knowing if a plant is evergreen or deciduous is a key factor in identifying a plant. Knowing if a plant is semi-evergreen is a bit more specific and mainly useful to know when planning a landscape, and is not as commonly used for keying out a plant. In a future post we will discuss the different types of evergreens and deciduous plants, but let's keep this post short and simple.

*Practice note: This is the perfect time of year to determine if a plant is evergreen or deciduous. Walk outside and observe all the trees and plants that are still covered in green or living foliage, and those that are bare or only retaining dry brown leaves. This applies to trees and smaller plants