While people may have been happy to have a warmer Christmas this year, nature can not say the same. Arborists shared their concerns over the rising temperatures and how they will affect local trees. According to their findings, this warm winter weather has put a lot of stress on fruit trees, causing them to bloom as if it were early spring.
Warm Winter Weather Is Putting Stress On Fruit Trees
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Turns out that all fruit trees really want is a white Christmas. While the rest of us may relish the warmer temperatures, fruit trees are becoming increasingly confused. Cowboy State Daily shared that "pear and cherry trees in Utah are covered with blossoms while lilacs in Colorado are blooming like it's spring in late December." Arborists are arguing that this is a result of the trees being stressed out. Additionally, it is not only the fruit trees that are being affected; perennial plants are also in bloom. So what exactly is going on? While places like Wyoming have seen one of their hottest Christmases in decades, trees and perennial plants are just trying to survive.
Shane Smith, former director of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, spoke to the outlet about it. "They want to reproduce in case they don't survive," he explained. "Flowering is a common response plants have to stress." Although we may think the blooms are beautiful, they are actually a cry for help from these fruit trees. So, what can we do? Granted, we cannot change the weather. However, Smith argues there are things we can do to alleviate some of the plants' stress.
What Can Be Done?
While we may not have the power to change the weather and make this warm winter cooler, there are things that we can do to help alleviate some of the stress from the fruit trees and other plants. First, Smith explained why a warm winter is not ideal for these plants. He argued that "fruting trees, like pears and apples, need to reach a certain threshold of 'chilling hours.'" Chilling hours are when the temperature drops to 45 degrees or lower; only then are these plants stress-free. "These plants need winter," Smith argued, "and a certain amount of cold to stay happy." So short of changing the weather, what can be done to help the fruit trees?
Smith suggests doing some winter watering. While most people turn off their water to their hoses during the winter months, Smith is arguing that these stressed-out plants could use a little H20. Additionally, Smith argues not to forget your more mature trees when watering. "Even older trees like a little bit of water too," he suggested. While he doesn't think the current conditions will be enough to fully kill off the trees, he warns that they will suffer. "A tree might not die, but the tops of the upper branches will start to die or fall away," he explained. "That's the tree thinking it needs to reduce its size to survive.
