It is difficult, but not impossible, to identify trees by the sounds they make as the wind moves through their leaves.
In his book Sharing the Joy of Nature, Joseph Cornell writes, “[Naturalist John] Muir knew his trees so well that he could identify many species by listening to the distinctive ‘wind music’ the breeze made as it moved through their branches.” Inspired by this passage, I began to listen to the trees.
I had already noticed the distinctive clattering of quaking aspen leaves. Like some other members of the poplar family, aspens have flat leaf stems that make the small leaves quiver rapidly in the lightest breeze. The roundish, toothed leaves are quite stiff, perhaps accounting for the loudness with which they strike each other.
In the winter woods, beech saplings often retain their leaves, protected as they are by the taller trees. In woods with high populations of deer, who are not fond of beech buds, there are plenty of young beeches. The dried, curled leaves rattle smartly, with a brassy tone, when the wind engages them.
Oaks tend also to keep their leaves in winter, even the tall ones. Their call, strangely, is more of a hiss than a rattle. I wonder if the hissing is caused by the bulges and indentations of the leaves, which trap the wind among them.
The loudest rattle comes from the honey locust, which bears, in the fall, long, twisting pods, with large, smooth beans inside. The wind not only strikes the pods against each other but also shakes the beans within.
My favorite tree call so far is that of the pine, which generates a characteristic sighing sound. This soothing tone, if attended to, can calm frayed nerves, induce relaxation, and promote a meditative state. So the next time you think you need a stiff drink, if the wind is up, go instead to the nearest pine grove, and listen.
