LEAVES

 

 

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

 

14/IX/2025

 

Flowers can make you smile. However, leaves can bring the same pleasure too. Take a look in your garden or when you visit some garden or a golf course, there are more than flowers in every plant.

 

Every leaf will tell you a story. Each leaf has a character and appeal. They might belong to the same plant but they would be different in more ways than one, provided one has an eye for it. Some plants have glossy leaves, some have flaky ones, some shine more and some remain dull. Some are differently shaped, while some have perforations. Some even bite and have prickly spines.

 

We find leaves making a heart shape too.  Every leaf has a pattern. Every group of leaves on a plant have a design structure too. New shoots may not be the same colour that of a mature leaf. Variations are countless.

 

Some are sword like, some are huge like elephant ears, some are bristly and some broad. The spread of leaves is mind boggling. Every plant has a distinct kind of leaf. They smell different too. Some have medicinal properties, some are herbs and used in ayurveda. Some leaves are antidotes to bites and stings. Some heal swellings and a running nose. Their uses are unimaginable.

 

Summer leaves are very different from the autumn ones. They change colour, shape and size with the passing seasons. Spring brings its own shades. Some fold in bright sunlight or when touched. Some are sensitive and get sunburnt.

 

On some, water can stick and on the others droplets float like pearls. Some leaves float on water and some thrive underwater.

 

Even their colour and pigmentation differs. Leaves differ with region and climate. The conifers are needle-like and the deciduous leaves are broad and big. Some grow in clusters, some as vines and creepers. Their patterns vary. But they follow a geometric pattern.

 

Even they differ in taste, from bitter, to sweet, to tangy, to tasteless. Some have medicinal properties, some are for decoration. People have been marooned and survived eating leaves.

 

Some love to stay indoors but most of them enjoy the outdoor atmosphere. Some want their roots dipped in water, some are averse to waterlogging.

 

Even the hues of green cannot be counted. We just had two kinds of colour pencils during our kindergarten days, light & dark green. It was when we joined the Army that we were introduced to the Olive Green. Today, the list is inconceivable. Here goes a few greens…..

 

Natural / Botanical Greens:-

• Forest Green
• Olive Green
• Moss Green
• Fern Green
• Sage Green
• Mint Green
• Grass Green
• Basil Green
• Pine Green
• Jungle Green

Rich & Deep Greens:-

• Emerald Green
• Jade Green
• Malachite
• Bottle Green
• Hunter Green
• Sea Green
• Viridian
• Teal Green

Light / Soft Greens:-

• Pistachio
• Celadon
• Honeydew
• Tea Green
• Pastel Green
• Lime Green
• Chartreuse
• Spring Green
• Apple Green
• Pear Green

Bluish Greens:-

• Aqua Green
• Turquoise Green
• Cyan Green
• Lagoon Green
• Aquamarine
• Caribbean Green

 Earthy / Yellowish Greens:-

• Khaki Green
• Army Green/Olive Green
• Avocado
• Wasabi
• Laurel Green
• Asparagus
• Citron
• Green-Gold

 

My Goodness. I lost count.

 

Then came our ‘camouflaged’ army dresses. They take the patterns of vegetation and the foliage of the region where the soldier and fauna merge. A person can stay undetected.

 

In nature we have ‘variegated’ leaves in  many colours and shades of white, cream, pink and green and purple on the same leaf.

 

Leaves are among the most diverse parts of plants and can be classified in several ways based on shape, size, margin, texture, venation, arrangement, and coloration. One has to add a pause button to what we see.

 

If you see a leaf of a tamarind and touch me not, many would not be able to make out the difference. Gulmohar and drumstick leaves look alike.

 

Succulents are also leafy plants. Aloe Vera is one. Even the desert rose of Adenium is a succulent plant. Vanilla is an orchid & grows as a vine. Each vine has a different leaf.

 

It is like we humans. Same species but different skin colour and facial features. Differentiating people of mongoloid origin is so tough. I just watched the Chinese victory day parade. “Hu” was no different from “Shu”. So is the case of leaves.

 

Be that as it may, here is a collection of special leaves which grow in our garden. Have a look at this leafy variety called Caladium in the Ellis’ Garden. Every leaf is different. The spots, the colours, the stripes and strands are all different.

 

https://youtu.be/iU_b_7mqW9E

 

How many would stop to admire a leaf henceforth? I wonder!!!!!!!

 

JAI HIND

©® NOEL ELLIS