Changing Trees

Enrique bites into an apple.

He wonders where apples come from and asks his mom to help him find out more.

She knows just where to look.

In summer, deciduous trees are fully green.

In autumn, their leaves change from green to oranges, yellows, reds, and browns and eventually fall to the ground.

In winter, trees rest just like some animals hibernate.

Enrique still doesn’t understand what deciduous trees have to do with apples.

His mom shows him what happens in the spring.

Each spring, after the tree has had a nice winter’s rest, little buds begin to form. On this cherry tree, and on apple trees, too, the buds open up and become flowers.

The flowers soon drop to the ground and leaves begin to grow.

As spring turns to summer, fruit, like these cherries, grow where the flowers were.

Look at how these apples grow in clumps together on the ends of the branches.

Now Enrique understands. Deciduous trees go through a cycle each year.
Winter
Spring
Summer
and Autumn

And each year new apples grow in the summer for everyone to enjoy, even Mr. Muffin!