defoliates
Removes all leaves
Defoliates means strips leaves from plants or trees.
The term appears in agricultural and military contexts—herbicides defoliate crops, and Agent Orange notoriously defoliated Vietnamese jungles during the war.
Disease or insects can also defoliate: Caterpillars defoliated the oak in a single week.
Some plants defoliate naturally before harvest.
Post-summer cooling period
- fallDescend under gravity
- deciduousSheds foliage seasonally
- mapleSap-yielding hardwood tree
- oakQuercus genus member
frost · browning · leaf drop · dormancy · senescence · chlorophyll · abscission · wind
Vegetation-destroying chemical
- glyphosateBroad-spectrum systemic herbicide
- Agent OrangeWartime defoliant chemical
- pesticideAgent destroying harmful organisms
- dioxinChlorinated aromatic toxin
spray · application · toxicity · contamination · bioaccumulation · residue · weedkiller · biocide
Had coverings removed
- denudedStripped of natural covering
- bareLacking any covering
- barrenUnable to produce
- devastationSevere widespread destruction
environmental damage · habitat loss · erosion · scorched · blighted · withered · dying · decimated
Cultivated agricultural plants
- harvestGathering mature crops
- pruningCutting vegetation for health
- cultivationFostering growth through care
- pesticideAgent destroying harmful organisms
herbicide · yield · farmland · spraying · pest control · growing season · vineyard · orchard
Moth or butterfly young
- infestationPest takeover situation
- pestHarmful creature or nag
- gypsy mothInvasive leaf-devouring insect
- Japanese beetleInvasive scarab species
locust · aphid · sawfly · tent caterpillar · bagworm · leafminer · outbreak · swarm
autumn
Post-summer cooling period
oak · frost · browning · leaf drop · dormancy · senescence · chlorophyll · abscission · wind · seasonal cycle
herbicide
Vegetation-destroying chemical
- glyphosateBroad-spectrum systemic herbicide
- Agent OrangeWartime defoliant chemical
- pesticideAgent destroying harmful organisms
dioxin · spray · application · toxicity · contamination · bioaccumulation · residue · weedkiller · biocide · chemical warfare
stripped
Had coverings removed
devastation · environmental damage · habitat loss · erosion · scorched · blighted · withered · dying · decimated · ruined
crop
Cultivated agricultural plants
- harvestGathering mature crops
- pruningCutting vegetation for health
- cultivationFostering growth through care
pesticide · herbicide · yield · farmland · spraying · pest control · growing season · vineyard · orchard · cotton
caterpillar
Moth or butterfly young
- infestationPest takeover situation
- pestHarmful creature or nag
- gypsy mothInvasive leaf-devouring insect
Japanese beetle · locust · aphid · sawfly · tent caterpillar · bagworm · leafminer · outbreak · swarm · larva
defoliatesleafs out
Develops springtime foliage
leafs · buds · greens up · greens · revegetates
defoliatesfertilizes
Adds nutrients for growth
nourishes · cultivates · nurtures · revitalizes · enriches