Big Horn Basin landscapes face ‘winter burn’

After a winter characterized by unseasonably warm temperatures and persistent dry winds, University of Wyoming Extension’s Horticulture Program urges Big Horn Basin homeowners to inspect their trees and shrubs for signs of “winter burn” and sunscald. While the mild weather may have been a welcome break for residents, experts warn it has created a stressful environment for Wyoming’s landscape plants.

According to horticultural guidelines, the lack of snow cover combined with high winds has led to a surge in winter desiccation, commonly known as “winter burn.” Evergreens, such as pine and spruce, continue to lose water through their needles year-round. In dry, windy conditions where the ground is frozen or parched, these plants cannot replace lost moisture, causing needles to turn brown starting at the tips.

Young and thin-skinned trees in the Basin are also facing a high risk of sunscald. This occurs when the warm winter sun activates bark cells on the southwest side of a tree during the day. When temperatures plummet at night, these active cells freeze and die, resulting in cracked or shrunken dead bark that can permanently damage the tree’s vascular system.

EXPERT TIPS FOR SPRING RECOVERY

To help local landscapes bounce back, the following recovery and mitigation steps are recommended:

Emergency Watering: If temperatures rise above 40°F and the ground is not frozen, water trees and shrubs once a month. Priority should be given to evergreens and any trees planted within the last two seasons.

Practice Pruning Patience: Do not rush to cut off brown branches or damaged perennials. Many trees possess “reserve buds” that can activate later in the spring, and perennials often replace damaged foliage as the season progresses.

Monitor Late Freezes: Be prepared for late-season frosts that can damage newly emerged flowers and stems. Severe cold after a warm spell can lead to a loss of fruit on bearing trees for the current season.

Plan for the Future: To prevent future sunscald, residents should use white tree wrap or white paint on young trunks in the fall. When selecting new plants, choose species rated for USDA hardiness zone 4 to ensure long-term survival.

Plants are remarkably resilient, with a little supplemental water and a ‘wait-and-see’ approach to pruning, most of our local landscapes can recover from even the toughest winters.

This article is based on “What Does a Warm, Dry Windy Winter Mean for Wyoming Landscape Plants?,” originally published on uwagnews.com by UW Extension Horticulture Specialist Jennifer Thompson. Visit bit.ly/warm-winter-wyoming to read the full story. For more information on identifying winter damage, residents are encouraged to contact their local agricultural extension office.