Deciduous trees holding on to leaves (2 Viewers)

[JTweedie]

I know some deciduous trees may hold on to a small number of leaves over the winter, possibly due to a mechanical reason for not falling off. Beech for example might still hold a fair number of golden leaves over winter.

But I was down at my local train station last week that looks out over some scrubland and there were quite a lot of birch trees that were still holding onto most of their leaves. Some had turned yellow and were still on the trees, while others still had green leaves. The land is inaccessible so I couldn't go over to look, but any thoughts what's going on here? Do we sometimes get the odd tree here and there still holding on to leaves for a bit longer than the others?

 

[PYRTLE]

I know some deciduous trees may hold on to a small number of leaves over the winter, possibly due to a mechanical reason for not falling off. Beech for example might still hold a fair number of golden leaves over winter.

But I was down at my local train station last week that looks out over some scrubland and there were quite a lot of birch trees that were still holding onto most of their leaves. Some had turned yellow and were still on the trees, while others still had green leaves. The land is inaccessible so I couldn't go over to look, but any thoughts what's going on here? Do we sometimes get the odd tree here and there still holding on to leaves for a bit longer than the others?

I've noticed that my apple trees still have most of their leaves on, some yellowing. The specimen silver birches are bare though.
The 200 year old copper Beeches next door have lost all theirs.

 

[KenM]

I note that late February (sometimes) for flowering Forsythia and Cherry blossom is given.
Today NE.London both the above flowering, also (what looked like) a very fresh emergent Peacock butterfly on Xmas Eve.😮

 

[aeshna5]

I note that late February (sometimes) for flowering Forsythia and Cherry blossom is given.
Today NE.London both the above flowering, also (what looked like) a very fresh emergent Peacock butterfly on Xmas Eve.😮

Your botany needs some serious work Ken! That's not Forsythia but the totally unrelated Winter Jasmine, Jasminum nudiflorum. Clue is in the name why it's flowering now!!!

The cherry is Winter-flowering Cherry, Prunus subhirtella, again normally flowering now.

 

[KenM]

Your botany needs some serious work Ken! That's not Forsythia but the totally unrelated Winter Jasmine, Jasminum nudiflorum. Clue is in the name why it's flowering now!!!

The cherry is Winter-flowering Cherry, Prunus subhirtella, again normally flowering now.

Praps I should take up birding A.😮👍

 

[Scott98]

Around here global warming has driven up the night-time temperatures more than daytime. In winter our daytime highs are 5+ degrees warmer than the 1970's, so I assume the average low at night is even higher.

I suspect the lack of colder, drier air is lengthening the time it takes for leaves to dessicate and fall off. The beeches and oaks are holding their leaves even longer, even through the entire winter season now.