What is abscission?

Abscission is when a plant lets go of something it no longer needs, like a leaf letting go of the tree.

Imagine you're holding onto a big, heavy backpack at school. When you get home, you take it off and leave it behind. That’s kind of what happens with abscission. A plant uses a special "cut" to let go of its leaves, flowers, or fruits when they’re no longer useful, like when they're old or when the season changes.

Plants have tiny layers inside their stems and leaf stalks called abscission layers. These layers act like little scissors that slowly cut through the connection between the leaf and the tree. Once the cut is complete, the leaf falls off, just like your backpack leaves you when you take it off.

It’s a simple but smart way for plants to save energy, especially during winter when they don’t need their leaves anymore. Abscission is when a plant lets go of something it no longer needs, like a leaf letting go of the tree.