Some will say that trees only look pretty in spring, summer, and maybe fall as well. But when the cold arrives, the deciduous ones are left without leaves, and the evergreens prepare not to lose theirs. At this time, humans protect ourselves with coats, gloves and hats, but the only thing plants can do is slow down their growth rate, and expend energy in carrying out their basic vital functions, such as breathing.
The higher the altitude or closer to the Poles, the more extreme the winter conditions will be. In fact, the boreal forest, located between 50º and 70º north latitude, can have winters with frosts below -40ºC. Instead, the closer to the equator, the warmer the climate. Because, we want to show you a series of images of different trees in the world in winterso you can see that when they are allowed to grow on their own, they are really magnificent.
Winter is the coldest season of the year, the one that puts plants the most to the test, as they do everything they can to adapt and survive. Many trees react to the drop in temperatures by pulling their leavesand once they run out, it can give us the impression that they have dried up … but nothing could be further from the truth: under the bark, there is life. The sap continues to circulate through the conductive vessels, keeping them healthy.
What are the most beautiful winter trees? Well, it is a bit difficult to answer that question, since we all have our tastes and preferences. But let’s try it, putting an image of how they look in winter and another of how they look in spring / summer:
White fir (Abies alba)
When we talk about winter trees, we usually think of deciduous trees supporting the weight of snow on their branches, but the truth is that there are many evergreen conifers that have adapted very well to living in areas where winter is harsh. One of them is the white fir, which grows in the mountainous regions of Europe. It has a pyramidal crown and reaches a height of between 20 and 50 metersalthough it takes its time. Although it looks evergreen, gradually replace the older leaves with new ones. As a curiosity, let us tell you that it sometimes shares a habitat with the beech. Resists up to -20ºC.
This is what it looks like in winter:
Image – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
And so in summer:
Image – Wikimedia Commons / Alabama
Japanese maple (Maple palmate)
El japanese maple It is a tree, or shrub depending on the variety or cultivar, that grows wild in Japan, Korea, and China. It is highly appreciated both to have in a garden, and among bonsaists. As usual, reaches a height of about 10 meters, with the maximum of 15 and the minimum of 2 (The latter is the one with the cultivar “Little Princess”). Its leaves change color throughout the seasons, until they fall in winter. It supports well the frosts of up to -18ºC, but the late ones hurt it.
Here you can see it in winter:
Image – Flickr / Andreas Rockstein
And here in spring:
Image – Flickr / Andreas Rockstein
Is (Fagus sylvatica)
The beech is a deciduous tree that grows in Europe, from the north of Spain to the south of Norway, including Sicily. It can form forests, called beech, or share territory with other trees, such as firs or other species that, like him, lose their leaves in winter. It resists frosts very well down to -20ºC, but it is not a plant that can live well in warm temperate climates such as the Mediterranean (I myself have a young specimen in the south of Mallorca, and during heat waves it has a very bad time ). It grows to a height of 30 meters and develops a straight trunk with a 5 meter wide crown.. In addition, it is quite long-lived: it can live for about 250 years.
This is what this tree looks like in winter:
Image – Flickr / Gilles Péris and Saborit
And that’s how pretty it looks in spring:
Image – Flickr / Peter O’Connor aka anemoneprojectors
Mountain pine (Pine mugus)
El mountain pine it is a conifer that, Although it can measure 20 meters in height, when it grows at high altitudes or in areas where the climate is temperate / cold, it remains as a shrub or small tree 2 or 3 meters. It is native to Europe, specifically we can find it in the Alps and the Pyrenees. Its growth rate is slow, but it is able to withstand frosts down to -30ºC.
When temperatures drop and snow falls, it looks like this:
Image – Wikimedia Commons / Chris.urs-o
Instead, when temperatures recover, like this:
Image – Wikimedia / Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz
The difference is not very noticeable; but it gives the feeling that in good weather it looks a little lighter green, more alive.
Zelkova from Japan (Zelkova serrata)
The Zelkova Serrata It is a deciduous tree native to East Asia. Specifically, he lives in Japan, Korea, eastern China, and Taiwan. Reaches a height of 20 to 35 metersand develops a thick trunk that can measure up to 2 meters in diameter. It is a fast growing plant, which also has a very long life expectancy; in fact, in Nose, near Osaka (Japan), there is a specimen that is more than 1000 years old. Resists up to -20ºC.
This tree looks like this in winter:
Image – Flickr / Eva the Weaver
And during the summer, in this other way:
Image – Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
Which of these winter trees did you like the most? As you can see, plants are often prettier if they are allowed to grow on their own.
