Fallen Ginkgo Leaves

 Most of the neighborhood ginkgos have now turned from green to bright, clear yellow. Backlit by the sun, the host of fluttering fans look like pure gold.  As much as I love the story that ginkgos lose all their leaves in one day, this is not entirely true. It CAN  happen, especially if there is an overnight cold snap. The stems of deciduous trees develop "scars" that encourage leaves to detach from the tree. Ginkgos are more decisive about this, which is why they often drop all their leaves in a short time, as opposed to a red maple releasing leaves over the course of a week or more. The fans here on the sidewalk will soon be joined by their friends who still cling to the branches.