Our mornings have been a little cool. The school buses are on the road. The leaves are falling from the trees. It must be October. Nope, check the date. It is still August; so, what is going on here?

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Getty Images/Photos from Japan, Asia and othe of the world Seeing a magnolia tree losing ...

For short-lived spring wildflowers such as wood anemone (Anemone quinquefolia) and Dutchman's breeches (Dicentra cucullaria), timing is everything. These fleeting plants, known as ephemerals, grow in ...

Wherever trees grow, sooner or later their leaves get wet. For trees in wet environments, this can be a problem if films of water cover their stomata. These tiny pores allow carbon dioxide to enter ...

Above: This photo tells an entire story. Taken at Roan Mountain State Park in Tennessee in January, it shows most of the deciduous trees are bare. However, you can easily see the light tan colors of ...