Leaf drop

This image is inspired by my love of eucalyptus trees and their unique characteristics. Many believe that gum trees do not shed their leaves. That is not entirely correct. Eucalyptus trees are adapted to drought. They shed mature leaves and twigs so they do not lose water through transpiration (the tree's version of breathing, which takes place mainly in the leaves). When the tree is stressed, it may shed adult leaves and later sprout new leaves along the branches. What particularly amazes me about the leaves that drop are the colour and pattern changes that occur with the result that no one leaf is the same. I am also enthralled about the way the leaves fall to the ground—like ‘nature’s confetti’—when periodic gusts of wind move them around.