Winter's Warriors

Not that all other plants "die", but this topic is going to show you many of the plants that can miraculously maintain foliage in a Neo arctic winter. I am also going over the adaptations that accomplish this.

One of the most common of the adaptations is waxy leaves. Leaves and needles of evergreens will typically have a shiny, waxy coating called Epicuticular Wax. This helps insulate them and prevents evaporation from seasonal droughts. It is even thought to act as a biological sunscreen, protecting the leaf from UV Radiation. This not only applies to needles but also to certain plant's LEAVES.

Leaves can have a major advantage over needles, as they produce more energy

Examples include Laurels, Wintergreen, and Bayberry. (The name "Wintergreen" also comes from the fact that it is an Evergreen)

Leaved Evergreens:

The bio-geographic region of the Neo arctic means the New World Arctic (North America). Paleo - arctic is Asia and Europe. The 2 Arctic regions are where evergreen plants evolved to tolerate over millions of years. All of these plants can tolerate temperatures below zero for short periods of time and are designed to withstand frost. Needles are the only adaptation that can allow tall, evergreen trees. This is because of 3 main reasons.

• Leaves would be pulled at so much by snow weight and wind that they would mostly be ripped off anyways.

• Leaves have more surface area to protect with Epicuticular Wax, which would be difficult to maintain

• Needles take much less nutrients to grow than leaves, making them a better option for rocky, New England soil.

Below I am going to make a list of every needled tree and plant I can find in Framingham with images. This is going to take a while for me and may even stretch into February. Basic Examples include Spruces, Firs, Pines, Hemlocks and Yews.

Needled Evergreens: