There are many types of trees and shrubs. Some lose their leaves in the fall, others do not. This difference in vegetation is very important depending on the use of the plant in the garden. It is best to know this when purchasing.
Evergreen trees and shrubs
They are ideal for creating privacy or windbreak hedges because they do not recede in the wrong season. They are also ideal for planting in isolation. An evergreen shrub will always have a more beautiful aesthetic impact than a subject without leaves for part of the year.
Evergreen plants renew their leaves gradually and over the long term, so they always look green. Generally, the persistence of foliage corresponds to an environmental adaptation. The leaves are tougher, often thicker too because the cells that compose them have reinforced walls. They had to adapt to the heat or the intense cold. Thus, shrubs originating from southern areas, with a dry and hot climate, have developed tough, often glossy leaves that limit evaporation to a maximum. In the same way, to fight against the cold, conifers have modified the structure of their leaves, which have become needles or scales that are very tough and resistant over time. The leaf area is thus reduced, which makes it possible to better resist the cold. The foliage is then renewed in stages spread over several years for some species. This is why it seems that these trees and shrubs do not lose their leaves.
The flowering of evergreen shrubs is sometimes less ornamental but that is the price to pay!
Deciduous trees and shrubs
In autumn, when the luminosity weakens, the leaves are no longer able to store and transform energy. Nature being well done, a thick layer will form on the petiole of the leaves preventing the passage of the sap. The energy storage is then done in the wood tissues and the roots. Leaves without chlorophyll and therefore without green pigment take on flamboyant hues. Only deciduous trees and shrubs offer such a spectacle, literally transforming the garden into a dream setting. Winter arrives next, it corresponds to the rest period, ideal for planting.
In spring, with the lengthening of the days and the heat, these plants resume an intense activity producing leaves and flowers. The show starts again each year in an explosion of colors and floral scents!
