Why Do Ginkgo Trees Drop All Their Leaves at Once? A UNH Expert Explains
Why Do Ginkgo Trees Drop All Their Leaves at Once? A UNH Expert Explains
Also, a look at a 50-year-old student tradition that offers insight into changing seasons
Videographer
Scott Ripley
Why do ginkgo trees drop all their leaves at once? And what does UNH’s iconic James Hall ginkgo tell us about how frost is coming later in the fall? Serita Frey, professor of natural resources and the environment in UNH's College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA) explains the science behind why leaves fall and shares the quirky 50-year-old student tradition that’s given her new insights into our changing seasons. The James Hall ginkgo dropped its leaves on Nov. 16 this year, which is the latest date ever recorded for the tree at UNH. "This is the latest year on record by far for the James Hall tree," Frey says. "The last record was Nov. 12 in 2023, which was six days past the previous record set in 2021."