Why do some trees keep their green leaves all year?
From NCERTAsked by Anonymous from New York, United States24 Oct 2026, 1:42 AM ISTUpdated
In one line
Some trees keep their green leaves all year because they are evergreen and do not shed all their leaves at once.
Mango — Tropical fruit A mango tree, which is evergreen and keeps its leaves all year. Image: Wikipedia
The rule
Evergreen trees keep their leaves throughout the year, while deciduous trees shed their leaves in certain seasons.
Let's understand it simply
Imagine a mango tree in your school ground. Even in winter, it still has green leaves. Now think of a gulmohar tree — in some months, it looks bare with no leaves. Trees like mango are called evergreen because they always look green. They do not lose all their leaves at the same time. Instead, old leaves fall off slowly, and new ones grow in their place. So, the tree always has some green leaves.
Evergreen vs Deciduous Trees
Evergreen
Deciduous
Leaf loss
Never all at once
All leaves fall in one season
Looks
Green all year
Bare in some seasons
Examples
Mango, Pine, Neem
Gulmohar, Peepal, Jamun
How it works
Evergreen trees have leaves that last longer — sometimes for years.
They lose a few old leaves at a time, not all together.
New leaves keep growing to replace the old ones.
Their leaves are often tough or waxy, which helps them survive in all seasons.
The story behind it
Scientists noticed that some trees, like pine and mango, stay green even in harsh weather. They studied these trees and found their leaves are built to last longer. This helps the tree make food all year, even when it is dry or cold.
Where you see it in real life
Mango tree: Stays green in all seasons in most parts of India.
Coconut tree: Its long leaves do not fall off all at once.
Pine tree: In hilly areas, pines keep their needle-like leaves even in winter.
Neem tree: Always has green leaves, even during the dry season.
Rubber tree: In Kerala, these trees look green all year.
Why it matters
Evergreen trees provide shade and shelter all year, even in summer or winter.
Animals and birds can always find food and a place to live in these trees.
They help keep the air fresh by making food (photosynthesis) all year.
Many parks and gardens plant evergreen trees so they always look green and lively.
Common mistakes
Thinking all trees lose their leaves in winter — only deciduous trees do.
Believing evergreen trees never lose any leaves — they do, but not all at once.
Confusing evergreen with plastic or fake trees — real evergreens are living plants.
Remember it
Evergreen trees = always green, because they never lose all their leaves together.
Check yourself
What is an evergreen tree?
A tree that keeps its green leaves all year and does not shed them all at once.
Why do evergreen trees not look bare in winter?
Because they only lose a few leaves at a time, so there are always green leaves left.
Give one example of an evergreen tree seen in India.
Mango tree.
Why do some trees lose all their leaves in one season?
To save water or survive harsh weather, these are called deciduous trees.
Quick recap
Evergreen trees keep their leaves all year.
They lose a few leaves at a time, not all together.
Their leaves are tough or waxy to survive all seasons.
Examples include mango, pine, and neem trees.
Deciduous trees lose all their leaves in one season.
