Wondering about the Term 'Deciduous'?
By Kay DiVerde
How often have you seen the word "deciduous" in a lawn and gardening article, and wondered what it meant? It's hard to follow gardening advice if you don't know if your tree or shrub is of the deciduous variety.
According the Webster's New World Dictionary, deciduous means: 1. Falling off at a certain season or stage or growth, as some leaves, antlers, insect wings, etc. 2. Shedding leaves annually: opposed to evergreen., 3. Short-lived; temporary.
Oh...that's what deciduous means! If a tree, shrub or vine loses its leaves as winter or the dry season approaches, it is deciduous. The opposite of a deciduous plant is an evergreen plant, which keeps its leaves or needles all year long.
Now, the next time you read the word "deciduous" in an article, you can picture what kind of plant the article is referring to. It is one that loses its leaves. For me, I think, "Nature 'decides' (similar word to deciduous) to shed its leaves. It's just easier to remember that evergreen plants just stay green forever, and the deciduous plants have leaves that die and fall off yearly.
Kay DiVerde is a freelance writer, horticultural researcher and consultant for Orchard's Edge. DiVerde also writes for a variety of newsletters and publications in the Midwest.
