Photography And Half-Thoughts By Mitchell Hegman

...because some of it is pretty and some of it is not.

Thursday, July 31, 2025

A Handsome Malady

The two most beautiful women are—in descending order—my wife and Salma Hayek. Here’s the thing: neither of them would look more striking if wrung out from battling a case of influenza or afflicted with a discoloring rash.

Plants, to the contrary, may strike a more gorgeous pose when stricken by sickness or the end of a growing cycle.

Consider a temperate-zone autumn: maples igniting in red and orange before shedding bare for winter; aspens fluttering gold in the light breeze; rushes swept into bronze by the season’s chill breath.

And then there is chlorosis—the yellowing of leaves due to a lack of chlorophyll. This condition is usually triggered by nutrient deficiencies, particularly iron, though nitrogen, manganese, and zinc may also be to blame. Poor drainage, compacted soil, root damage, or an overly alkaline pH can further complicate a plant’s ability to draw in what it needs.

Yet the result is often arresting.

While spiraling down a high mountain road, Desiree and I spotted a thimbleberry whorl suffering from chlorosis. The effect was striking—like seeing the plant rendered into a living x-ray. The entire network of its hydraulic system glowed bright green, while the leaf edges faded into soft yellow.

I felt compelled to take a photograph.

Chlorosis on Display

A Healthy Thimbleberry

—Mitchell Hegman

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