“Leafless Greenery” — an Oxymoron or ... !!!!

 

People love greenery ! – Trees with green leaves attract !  -  “Leafless Greenery”  — an Oxymoron – is that possible … perhaps everything with AI edit – here is a photo of a barren tree that was too attractive, then processed it through with couple of Parakeets group photos .. ..   Abscission is a new word for those of us who studied Science in Tamil medium..

Abscission (from Latin ab- 'away' and scindere 'to cut') is the shedding of various parts of an organism, such as a plant dropping a leaf, fruit, flower, or seed. In zoology, abscission is the intentional shedding of a body part, such as the shedding of a claw, husk, or the autotomy of a tail to evade a predator. In mycology, it is the liberation of a fungal spore. In cell biology, abscission refers to the separation of two daughter cells at the completion of cytokinesis.

In temperate countries, in Autumn season – trees shed leaves.   The shedding of leaves itself is called abscission. In Chennai’s tropical climate, however, trees may shed leaves during the dry season or before summer—not necessarily during a distinct autumn. Such trees are called deciduous trees. Trees lose their leaves mainly to conserve water and survive an unfavourable season.

Trees do not necessarily lose their leaves because they are dying; sometimes, shedding is Nature’s strategy for survival and renewal.  When trees lose their leaves, they do not always lose their life—their vitality merely retreats within, awaiting another season.

“Leafless Greenery”   !!  by definition, perhaps not. Yet Nature is an ingenious writer—she occasionally composes poetry that grammar and logic cannot explain. Before me stood a great tree, stripped almost entirely of its foliage. Its bare branches stretched across the pale sky like an intricate charcoal drawing. There were no clusters of leaves to soften its outline, no luxuriant canopy to proclaim vitality. At first sight, it appeared dry, austere and almost lifeless.

Then came the parakeets! ~ though they were in very small numbers – I have exaggerated by extrapolating with some from my own collections editing through Chatgpt !! 

One after another, the rose-ringed parakeets descended upon the tree. Some settled quietly on its highest twigs; some perched in companionable pairs; others shuffled along the branches, searching for a comfortable foothold. A few hovered momentarily with wings outspread before joining the gathering.  Within minutes, the naked tree had turned green! Not through new shoots or tender leaves—but through living, breathing splashes of emerald. The birds seemed to have taken the place of the missing foliage. Their long bluish-green tails hung from the branches like slender leaf stalks, while their curved red beaks provided tiny strokes of contrast.

It was greenery without leaves—an oxymoron created by Nature herself!  The tree, though seemingly barren, was certainly not lifeless. Its innumerable branches offered the birds resting places, safety, visibility and companionship. What appeared empty to the human eye had become a thriving avian assembly hall. Every branch was occupied; every movement added animation; every call contributed to an unseen orchestra.

There is also a gentle lesson here. We often associate beauty only with abundance—trees must be thick with leaves, gardens must overflow with flowers and landscapes must be lush to attract our admiration. Yet a leafless tree can possess a beauty of its own. Its uncovered structure reveals strength, age and character. Every bend in its trunk and every fork in its branches records a story of seasons endured.

And with the arrival of  the parakeets   that starkness becomes splendour. Through this edited photograph I am trying to depict a quiet contrast of our concrete surroundings.  Buildings rise, wires criss-cross the sky and open spaces steadily disappear. Yet birds adapt, gather and reclaim whatever fragments of Nature remain available to them. A single old tree—even one without leaves—can become a sanctuary for scores of winged visitors.

To us, it may merely be a tree awaiting another season. To the parakeets, it is perhaps a meeting place, a resting station and a familiar landmark in their aerial world. For a fleeting while, the birds transformed its barrenness into abundance and its silence into celebration. They did not merely perch upon the tree—they became its foliage.

A leafless tree dressed in living green— “Leafless greenery” may sound like an oxymoron, but at least in imagination it is a  beautiful reality!

Interesting !

Regards – S Sampathkumar

31.8.2026