Many broadleaf trees lose their leaves once a year and later grow new leaves. These trees are called deciduous trees. Oaks, maples, willows, and many other types of trees are deciduous.
In places that have cold winters and warm summers, most deciduous trees lose their leaves in autumn. Leaves need water to stay alive and to make food. A tree gets water from the soil. But in winter, the water in the soil turns to ice. The roots can’t take in this frozen water. There is no water for the trees.
In late summer, the tree begins to prepare for winter. A thick layer grows where each leaf’s stem is attached to the twig. Water can no longer get into the leaves. The leaves dry up, fall to the ground, and die.
In springtime, the ground warms up. The ice melts. The soil is wet again. Then a tree’s roots start taking in water, and the tree grows new leaves.
But not all broadleaf trees are deciduous. In warmer parts of the world, broadleaf trees stay green all year. They are called broadleaf evergreens. They lose just a few leaves at a time. The eucalyptus, or gum, trees of Australia are broadleaf evergreens.
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