All About Leaves

Plant leaves are amazing things.  They come in many different sizes and shapes, cloaking trees in a pleasing green garb that looks great and provides us with cool, fresh shade.  Not just beautiful baubles, though, leaves are a critical part of how plants grow, and ultimately how any of us get the food we need to grow and thrive.  

Plants are called “primary producers” because they can convert the radiant energy in sunlight into potential energy stored in simple sugar molecules.  This is the miracle of photosynthesis, which happens in molecules called chlorophyll (which give the leaves a green color).  This energy transformation allows the plant to then use those sugar molecules as both energy and building blocks to grow bigger.  Plants feed themselves on sunlight.  The tissue they build is then eaten directly by animals, or indirectly by animals that eat animals that eat plants.  But – it all starts with the leaves!

As important as they are, leaves are also very expendable.  A tree can lose some or all of its leaves and be fine; hardwood trees do that every year when they drop their leaves before winter.  The tree pulls chlorophyll out of the leaves to store and recycle.  The leaves then show colors from other molecules, and some of these have bright red, yellow and orange hues – the colors of fall!

An experienced arborist can tell a lot about tree health from the condition of the leaves.  If you’re worried about your tree’s health, have us come evaluate them.  

Click here to find out more about our Albuquerque tree removal services.