A Splash of Winter Colour

While most of the forest has shed its greenery for the season, this one splash of bright, fiery orange really caught my eye against the backdrop of grey branches and tall pines. I believe it’s a young Beech tree holding onto its leaves. There is actually a scientific name for this: marcescence. It’s a clever little evolutionary trick where young trees keep their withered leaves through the winter to protect next spring’s delicate buds from frost and hungry deer.

Walking this path felt like stepping into a painting. It’s amazing how much colour you can find in the Irish landscape, even in the depths of winter, if you just stop to look.