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It all depends on the kind of trees. I've spent Christmas in Mexico and with 95 degree days the deciduous trees still observe the seasons and lose their leaves. The seasons are more than the temperature, they are the shortened daylight, the angle of the sun, even in Puerto Vallarta, closer to the equator but not close enough that deciduous trees don't react.
So I'm assuming you're talking about winter dormancy. So like in metro Atlanta this is typical January. We have the evergreen pines, but the deciduous trees are barren and the grass is brown.
I know when I lived in Houston there was a slight winter look. Brown grass, and some trees lost their leaves and were bare.
I'm not sure how far south that changes. Miami I don't think has a winter look at all. I've been there in December and February and it's just looked completely green.
There are lots of trees in Southern California that lose their leaves in the winter. Of course, there are even more that don't, but if you're paying attention, there is a difference in vegetation between winter and the rest of the year.
The brown grass puzzles me. I assumed grass always turns brown in winter in four-season climates, but I've visited Spokane in the dead of winter several times, and although there was snow on the ground, the grass was still green underneath it.
So I'm assuming you're talking about winter dormancy. So like in metro Atlanta this is typical January. We have the evergreen pines, but the deciduous trees are barren and the grass is brown.
I know when I lived in Houston there was a slight winter look. Brown grass, and some trees lost their leaves and were bare.
I'm not sure how far south that changes. Miami I don't think has a winter look at all. I've been there in December and February and it's just looked completely green.
I am indeed talking about winter dormancy. I know of places (such as the FL peninsula) where you can have a tree that is losing it's leaves and another tree right next to it that is growing new leaves.
I am indeed talking about winter dormancy. I know of places (such as the FL peninsula) where you can have a tree that is losing it's leaves and another tree right next to it that is growing new leaves.
I'm not sure what you mean by the peninsula. There are three climatic zones in Florida: draw a line between Tampa and Melbourne; everything above that line is subtropical. You see winter dormancy in plants above that line. Draw another line from Fort Myers to West Palm Beach; everything below the line is tropical. You don't see winter dormancy in plants below that line. The region between is a transition zone, so you'll find characteristics of both the tropical and subtropical zones there.
I'm not sure what you mean by the peninsula. There are three climatic zones in Florida: draw a line between Tampa and Melbourne; everything above that line is subtropical. You see winter dormancy in plants above that line. Draw another line from Fort Myers to West Palm Beach; everything below the line is tropical. You don't see winter dormancy in plants below that line. The region between is a transition zone, so you'll find characteristics of both the tropical and subtropical zones there.
I heard people say that the Florida Panhandle has four seasons. Does it really have a period where the trees are bare?
Yes, although it may not be as noticeable due to the dominance of pines, and then you have trees like Live Oak that shed their leaves in the spring before getting new ones.
Trees like Red Maple, Sweetgum, and Red oaks are bare during the winter. We also use warm season grasses for lawns here, and they are typically dormant and brown during the winter.
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