One tree, several visits
Vive Cabeceiras · Observation · general activity through the seasons

Returning to the same place is another way to read the seasons.

The book A Vegetação em Portugal distinguishes leaves that remain functional through the unfavourable season from marcescent leaves, already dry but still hanging in the crown. Observing the same tree at different times helps reveal change. Record what you see before naming the species: green leaves, attached dry leaves, bare branches and new shoots do not all tell the same story.

To compare visits, choose a specific part of the tree: a branch visible from the same spot or the entire crown. Keep the date and record green leaves, attached dry leaves, flowers and fruits separately. If you cannot see something, write “not observed”; that differs from saying it does not exist on the tree.

The ginkgo and dawn redwood stories let you begin comparing on screen: both lose their leaves, but their shapes differ. Ash adds another question: are you looking at a whole leaf or one of its leaflets? Repeated observations and carefully chosen comparisons reveal more than immediately guessing a species name.

Sources and context
National Press — Vegetation in Portugal, semi-ducifolia and marcescent leaves
https://imprensanacional.pt/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/A-Vegetacao-em-Portugal.pdf
Accessed: 2026-11-07
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation — Ginkgo
https://gulbenkian.pt/jardim/biodiversity/ginkgo/
Accessed: 2026-11-07
Cambridge University Botanic Garden — Metasequoia glyptostroboides, deciduous foliage and layout of leaves
https://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/the-garden/plant-list/metasequoia-glyptostroboides/
Accessed: 2026-11-07
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation — Straits leaves, fruit and habitat
https://gulbenkian.pt/jardim/biodiversity/freixo-de-folhas-estreitas/
Accessed: 2026-11-07

Editorial summary. The date of consultation is not the date of the facts.
Text and recipe, when available. Photos, activities and updates on the page:
https://vivecabeceiras.pt/en/descobrir/terra-viva/?leitura=folhas-secas-ramos#folhas-secas-ramos