Report From PIA – January 2
It snowed all day today, a fine light sprinkling that didn’t amount to more than two inches before dark. The temperatures were just below freezing, so the Rhododendron leaves weren’t curled into tight, green tubes, and the snow could make a sugar coating on these shrubs. These shrubs, and the fact that we spent New Year’s with dear friends who just had a death in the family, started me thinking about evergreens and survival in traumatic times.
Those plants that keep their foliage all year need to be well adapted for water conservation. Their roots may be firmly held in frozen soil for months, unable to draw up water, yet their leaves continue to transpire precious moisture. The winter sun and wind dries foliage as well, so evergreen plants have evolved in ways that protect against these conditions and prevent water loss.
Most plants that are evergreen either have thick, glossy leaves or needles. The needles have less foliage surface to loose water from, and the thick vegetation holds water in while reflecting the sun off those shiny surfaces. Rhododendron leaves curl in the cold, all the better to cover and block the stomata that leak water along with gases. For any plant that keeps its leaves all winter, survival is all about water management.
We too find ways to endure during difficult times. In stressful situations we might need to curl as tight as that Rhododendron leaf on a twenty-degree day, or we may fling open our arms and hearts to friends and family, and comforting routines. Exercise is therapeutic in demanding times, and many of us, for better or worse, turn to comfort foods that soothe and calm.
Life carries on, and those living find ways to go forward as well.
May we be as adaptable and durable as those plants with needles and shiny leaves. May we find ways to help each other be ever growing, ever green.
If the temperatures had been ten degrees lower, this Rhododendron's leaves would have curled so tight that the snow wouldn't have been able to frost the foliage.
The white pine needles are thin, and they too clump together a bit, trying to conserve moisture. Being evergreen is difficult for plants, but those of us who are surrounded by winter landscapes are pleased that these plants are here.
