How our increasingly changing weather can impact your trees

Trees are all around us, standing tall and silent, doing their important work. As the biggest plants on Earth, they give us oxygen, store carbon, stabilize the soil and provide a home to wildlife. They also provide food, shade and can help reduce energy use. They do all this year in and year out, withstanding whatever Mother Nature throws at them. And this year, they were doozies!

Consider – a year ago we were in the third year of drought after one of the driest winters in history. By September, high temperatures in central Marin reached 110 degrees, with triple digits lasting five days, blistering the environment. December ushered in the first of a dozen atmospheric rivers, causing flooding and standing water in many gardens. Late February brought snow to our hilly peaks and freezing temperatures to low-lying areas. An extraordinary March included more rain and cyclone-force winds. Through all of this, our majestic trees took the brunt of it; sadly, some did not withstand it.

Hopefully, all your trees made it through the weather challenges. To be sure they’re in good shape, take a closer look and check for damage or signs of stress.

The abundant rain saturated the soil. If soil doesn’t drain, a tree’s roots can end up sitting in water for an extended period of time. This eliminates oxygen from the soil and can result in root suffocation — a serious, often life-threatening problem for plants. A short-term deficit that lasts for days can produce wilting and premature leaf drop. Lack of oxygen for weeks or longer kills roots, stunts growth, causes abnormally short shoots and small leaves and may lead to the tree’s gradual decline and death. Or you may see leaves that suddenly collapse and turn brown, branches that die back from the tips. If you see any of these symptoms, check your soil and confirm it’s draining adequately.

Look for areas around trees that are still visibly damp. The presence of mushrooms near the base and conks (bracket-like growths) growing on the bark of trees or on exposed roots are fruiting bodies of decay-causing fungi and indicators of root rot or wood decay.