This tall, but relatively young, White Oak (Quercus alba) is one of our more famous trees for reasons that will become clear. But, the point that we want to make first is that Oaks hold onto some of their leaves longer than most deciduous trees and some Oaks will keep a few (sometimes almost all) of their leaves through the winter.
This tenacity, called marcescence, is not fully understood, but usually occurs in younger trees. (Keep in mind that Oaks have been known to live longer than 400 years – “younger” is a relative term.) Apparently, in most other trees, a layer of cells forms around the base of leaves as the weather gets colder and seals the leaves off from water and nutrients. This “abscission layer” does not completely form in Oaks and a few other trees. Many of their leaves don’t completely die; their diet is severely diminished and they turn dry and brown, but they hang on. The leaves on some Oaks also take longer to change color:
We know that you’ve patiently been reading about science, but really wanting to know why this particular Oak is famous. Well, it was planted in the back of the Brooklin Cemetery by one of Brooklin’s most famous residents, the writer E.B. (“Andy”) White. He planted it when his beloved wife died and was buried there in 1977. His wife, Katherine Sergeant Angell White, also was a famous author and editor. When Andy died in 1985, he was buried next to her under the Oak and their plain gravestones receive a scattering of its leaves every Fall.
(Brooklin, Maine; images taken October 24, 2020)