Hi friends! Have you noticed the all green colour leaves appeared on trees, shrubs etc outside? Which is so exciting beacause that means spring is officially here! Today we take a close look at these lovely leaves, summarise what makes spring foliage so important for life and come out feeling better about our place in the world.
The spring leaves seem to be a great boon for all form of life forms with in our vicinity. They contribute a lot to oxygen — the thing we breathe. We would not have air to breathe without leaves, and no animal — humans included — could live. We cannot imagine world without fresh air, can we? Other animals eat leaves, too; for example, a caterpillar or two will munch away at your plants before becoming the lovely butterflies we know they are. It also demonstrates the fundamental role that leaves play in the life cycle of many organisms.
As we observe spring foliage, we recognize that they display incredible diversity of shape, size & color. Some leaves are tiny and tender; some others are huge and tough. Leaves range from bright green to dark green. Leaves can have all kinds of different shapes too! Isn't it cool how they can also be round, oval, or even heart shape? Leaves also carry veins, which are small lines that carry water and nutrients to help the plant grow strong and healthy.
Have you ever wondered how trees and plants grow leaves? It is truly amazing to see! Leaves emerge from small plant buds located on the stem. With the warmer weather and longer days, those buds burst open and new leaves emerge. Each spring, a process that we call leaf-out takes place. It seems like some of nature's magic show!
Plants need three essentials to grow spring leaves from a dozen: water, sunlight, and some warmth. With these three elements, leaves develop from the buds. The buds — wrapped in hardened scales that shelter them from the bitter cold of winter — remain dormant. Those scales are like tiny protective shields! When the spring comes and the weather gets warm, she unfolds the scales, and new leaves begin to grow. It is super fascinating to observe this form of renewal, as though life springs anew from winter.
Spring foliage is vital to life and extremely pleasant to observe. The bright green colours help to remind us that the winter is behind us and new life can be seen all around. This variety is beautiful; every leaf there is a different "leaf-shaped" but different leaves are found of various shapes and sizes. Other leaves will even change colors in the fall, to vivid shades of red, yellow and orange. This change transforms them into attractive and colorful clothes that the trees wear!
