Page 8 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2022 SAUGUS GARDENS IN THE WINTER Here’s what’s blooming in town this week to make your walks more enjoyable D By Laura Eisener uring the winter in our climate extra attention goes to evergreen trees and shrubs. The term “evergreen” means what it sounds like – it keeps its foliage through all the seasons. Unlike all the deciduous trees we have been observing all fall as their leaves turn color and drop, evergreens maintain some or most of their foliage through the winter. Conifers, which have cones for fruit, are among the most recognizable categories of evergreens, as they can be identifi ed by their needle-like foliage even if no cones are present. Many conifers do have cones in their branches all winter, which may provide additional help in narrowing their identifi cation down to species and variety. It may come as a surprise that not all trees with cones for fruit or needle-like foliage are A MOURNING DOVE sitting in the snow is one of several regular winter visitors to our feeder. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) TREES IN CLIFTONDALE SQUARE: This view shows the yellow needles of the weeping European larch in its late fall color, and beside it the evergreen needles of the Colorado spruce. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) actually evergreen. Most conifers do drop some of their older needles in the fall but retain most of them. A few species drop all their needles for the winter and grow new ones in the spring. Law Offices of Terrence W. Kennedy 512 Broadway, Everett • Criminal Defense • Personal Injury • Medical Malpractice Tel: (617) 387-9809 Cell: (617) 308-8178 twkennedylaw@gmail.com The contrast between two adjacent conifers in the Cliftondale rotary becomes quite apparent as winter sets in. One, a Colorado spruce (Picea pungens), will keep its foliage all winter. It stands out in the holiday season because of its red bows at the top, but all year the blue-green needles remain on the tree, helping it to stand out among the bare branched deciduous trees around it. Next to it, much smaller and shaped very diff erently than the conical form of the spruce, is another interesting conifer – a weeping European larch (Larix decidua pendula) which loses its foliage every fall. There were a few clusters of golden needles remaining at the start of 2022. Larch needles are small, about an inch long and clustered in groups of 30-40 on the branches. The bright yellow color rivals the golden leaves of birch (Betula spp.), ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) and many other deciduous trees. For those not familiar with this natural seasonal cySOME BIRDS THRIVE on a diet of winterberry (Ilex verticillata) or other small fruit through the winter, such as this American robin at the Saugus Ironworks National Historic Site. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) cle, it is easy to assume the tree is dead when it is seen leafl ess in winter. As long as it remains in the square, however, we can expect it to produce new pale green needles again in the spring. Larches produce small cones, which are quite attractive and which do last all winter as do those of many other coniAN AMERICAN ROBIN perched in a hawthorn tree (Crataegus sp.) on January 4. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) fers. The weeping variety of European larch is popular because of its unusual shape, which can be made even more dramatic by various pruning styles. Pruning can also keep the size of the trees down, which is the case with the larch in Cliftondale. The picture accompanying this article was taken just a few weeks ago when most of the needles were still clinging GARDENS | SEE PAGE 14 A trusted family name combined with exceptional craftsmanship & professionalism. Call for a consultation & quote. 63 Years! • Vinyl Siding • Carpentry Work • Decks • Roofing • Replacement Windows • Free Estimates • Fully Licensed • Fully Insured
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