Hello Gardeners, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow . Beech trees, Fagus grandifolia, hang onto their dead leaves throughout winter – a phenomenon called winter leaf marcescence. Why would this benefit a tree? You’d think that snow, ice and strong winds would make these trees more prone to winter injury. There are a few theories about the benefits of this condition. Beech trees thrive when growing in moisture-retentive but not saturated soils, ecologists the leaves that