In the fall, what makes some trees lose their leaves faster than others?

Question

I went on a walk today and noticed trees with all their leaves next to some without a single one.

In: 1

Answer 1

Exposure to sunlight. Trees lose their leaves because reduced sun is one of the triggers for losing their leaves to prepare for winter. If a tree faces north then it’ll receive less sun and therefore lose its leaves faster than a tree facing East that gets direct sunlight for longer. Your trees may be next to each other, but one is probably getting more sun than the other, and thus the tree is retaining its leaves longer.