Oak tree

I wondered why some deciduous trees (eg oak, hornbeam and beech) keep their leaves in winter, like this one, and it's because they're just kids. 


"The maturity of a tree may be defined by the production of flowers -which may take years to decades, depending on the species and where it is growing. Even a large and seemingly mature tree may have some branches in an immature state (particularly those low in the crown or close to the main stem). Such branches may retain their leaves in the winter months. The ‘juvenile parts’ of a tree may be identified if the tree is examined over the course of a year - the branches that retain leaves will not bear flowers and fruit in the following Spring. Why juvenile trees  should ‘hold on’ to their leaves is not clear but it [probably] has something to do with the plant growth regulators...that control the formation of the abscission zone. This ‘holding on’ of leaves through the winter months is known as marcescence (from the Latin, marcescere = to fade)". 
https://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/woodland-activities/leaves-in-winter-marcescence/



The abcission zone is a layer of cells at the base of a leaf that regulates leaf fall. Literally every day is a delightful school day! 


This oak is perched on a flood bank on the huge meadow nearby that I've often blipped in 2020. The English oak has a very satisfying shape, kind of symmetrical, quite a cushiony, cloudy outline, just beautiful. 


This strong, dependable tree seems to me to represent an element of England that's worth identifying with, unlike the shameful shower of self-serving fools in government that have made our country into a global laughing stock.