gifts from the sea

these live oak leaves are a gift from a friend who recently vacationed on hilton head island in south carolina. i am besotted with their khaki colors and textured veins. we don’t grow leaves quite so sturdy and leathery here in the north. our leaves tend to be large and thin–maximizing surface area over structure. it makes sense, given their need to capture as much solar energy as possible in the shortest amount of time.  my other experience with this, at the other end of the spectrum, is all the thorns of mediterranean france. thorns are adapted leaves–curled tight on themselves where sun and light is not only abundant but actually excessive.  so these compact, stiff live oak leaves are the temperate middle ground between the large, limp leaves of the north, and the tight, needle-like leaves of the arid south. mama bear leaves–not too big, not too small, just right.

live oak leaves