Are all trees alike?

Although trees are big, woody plants, they fall into two very different categories: coniferous and deciduous.

Conifer means cone-bearing. Conifers are all Gymnosperms and their leaves resemble needles (spruce) or scales (junipers). The vast majority of conifers retain their needles in winter and remain green all year-round. This is the origin of the term evergreen. There is one exception to this cycle: the tamarack, also known as larch, loses its needles every fall. Coniferous trees are also referred to as softwoods and their sap is generally resinous and aromatic.

In Canada, the deciduous trees shed their leaves in the fall, often after having passed through a typical colored phase . Deciduous means falling off or shedding seasonally. In the fall, as days become shorter, photosynthesis gradually stops and the chlorophyll moves from the leaves to other parts of the trees. The leaves then display the other colors, hidden by the green color during summertime. In Canada, the only exception to this is the arbutus tree of the Pacific coast which keeps its leaves all year. Deciduous trees are also referred to as hardwoods and, as in the case of the maple, their sap is often sweet and tasty.

Trees are most easily identified by their leaves. Everyone recognizes the difference between conifer needles and deciduous leaves. With a little observation of leaf shapes and structures, everyone can also easily identify most Canadian trees species.

Simply gathering leaves can be an interesting outdoor activity. If you plan an excursion in a wooded area, bring along two books: an identification guide for plants and trees, and an unused hard-covered book. This will serve as a protection for the leaves which you will place individually between the pages. Be sure to have a big elastic band or some other means of closing the book while you carry it.

In the summertime, the leaves you gather will help identify the trees once you are back at home if you haven't been able to do so on the spot. You can start a herbarium by delicately placing them on blotter or any other kind of absorbent paper. Collect different plants specimens and note the date, location of harvest, general surroundings information and, of course, the common and Latin name of the species, all of which can be found in an identification guide.

Sometimes it is forbidden to engage in gathering activities. An interesting alternative is to sketch the leaves, bark and branch pattern of the trees you have observed in a logbook or sketchbook.

In the fall, it is a lot of fun to collect beautiful colored leaves just for their magnificent range of colors. Choose those that are still soft and supple. Squeeze them between blotter paper, stack under heavy books or bricks and store in a warm, dry place for two weeks. You will then have beautifully pressed leaves with which you can do whatever you want.

Did you know that you can plant some tree seeds inside and they will become beautiful house plants? For example, grapefruit, orange and lemon seeds will grow to become beautiful house plants. Sow the seeds in clean, rich soil about 3cm deep and in 3 to five weeks, the small plants will emerge. You can even try your luck with exotic seeds like papayas, litchis and passion fruit.