The abscission zone

The abscission zone: an A - Z for the love of trees! was written, illustrated, and printed in early winter 2022.  This zine is composed of charcoal drawings and tree and botanical terminology. It is available via Etsy and at The Concern Newsstand.

The abscission zone is the area of plant tissue in deciduous trees between leaf and twig. When summer comes to a close, cells in this region constrict and cut off the transport of water and nutrients to the leaf.  The cells harden, the leaf detaches. The abscission zone forms a barrier that prevents water loss and infection. This process allows the trees to go dormant through the winter, conserving vital resources. Come spring, the space left through abscission gives room for new buds to sprout. Abscission is also a vital part of reproduction, growth, and protection when under stress of extreme sunlight, insect damage, or disease. 

The words of trees reflect the intricacies of all living things— how delicate and immense we all are. These words are reminders of the wonder of the plants that are our kin. As we lose plant diversity (as well as the indigenous languages that know these kin so dearly), how can we go to the trees to learn from them. How can we be grounded? how can we support those we love, human and non-human? what can we abscise to allow for growth, What can we do without? In what direction can we grow, with grace and humor all the while? The plants show the way:  funky (verticillate and floccose!), resilient (epicormic), inventive ( samaras! pappus! pneumatophores!) radical (radicle!), merging (inosculation) and branching (dendritic).