Understanding Winter Dormancy

Happy New Year Everyone!

With 2023 gone, we open the doors to a — hopefully — great 2024. This is the time of year where we often find ourselves dealing with cold, winter weather. January is known for being one of the coldest months of the year, so make sure you have all of your warm clothing and the fireplace running! At this point, many animals are already in hibernation, while the others have migrated to warmer conditions. But there is one thing that can neither hibernate or migrate and has to pull through the cold winter as they are — our trees. How trees survive the winter is not usually something that is at the forefront of our minds, but it is definitely interesting when you take the time to learn about it.

Throughout time, trees have adapted to their surroundings and have established a process that helps them survive the winter. The first defense is their bark. The rough exterior of the trees provide insulation for the interior of the tree and protection from freezing.

Another process that helps fight off winter is entering a state of dormancy. Dormancy helps trees save energy and regain their strength for the spring. During dormancy, deciduous trees drop their leaves in the fall, allowing them to conserve water during the winter and shut down the photosynthesis process. Most coniferous trees, on the other hand, don’t enter a full dormancy state because their needles are better at retaining water and continuing the photosynthesis process during colder times.

The final way tress have learned to tolerate cold temperatures is by making changes at a cellular level. To continue the process of moving water from the root to the canopy and lowering the freezing point, the trees convert starches into sugars to create a natural antifreeze. This allows the water to travel throughout the tree safely without freezing or causing any significant damage to the tree.

With all of these defenses, trees are still susceptible to some damage, especially if the weather conditions are extremely harsh. We recommend getting your trees inspected by an ISA Certified Arborist to make sure that they are safe for the winter and don’t require any maintenance. Although tree maintenance cannot guarantee everything, it can certainly help reduce the risk of severe damage to both the tree itself and your property.

Reach out today if you need to schedule an appointment!