Most people get through winter with nothing more than a little winter blues, but winter can be a real pain when there’s an ice storm. Not only do Ice Storms cause car accidents, but they can cause real damage to your trees. “Severe ice storms occur every year in the United States, particularly in the midwestern and eastern regions, resulting in millions of dollars in monetary losses.” (University of Illinois Extension) In this month’s blog, we are going to talk about how ice can damage your trees and which trees could be resistant to ice damage.

“Accumulations of ice can increase the branch weight of trees by 30 times or more. Ice formation generally ranges from a trace to 1 inch in additional stem diameter. Accumulations between 1/4 and 1/2 inch can cause small branches and weak limbs to break, while 1/2-inch to 1-inch accumulations can cause larger branches to break, resulting in extensive tree damage.” (University of Illinois Extension) “Healthy trees that have not suffered major structural damage, such as split trunks and broken crowns, may recover with time.” “Recovery depends on the health of the tree and the extent of the damage; healthy trees with few damaged branches should recover and in time the crown may even appear normal.” (Kansas Forest Service)

“Resistance to ice accumulation can be estimated based on general tree characteristics. Tree species and cultivars genetically prone to forming included bark and those having decurrent branching patterns and large branch surface area will be more susceptible to damage. In contrast, species and cultivars with coarse branching patterns and excurrent branching and those that lack included bark and other structural weaknesses will generally be more tolerant to ice storms.” (University of New Hampshire)

“Proper tree placement and pruning on a regular cycle will reduce property damage and decrease a tree’s susceptibility to ice storms. Property damage from trees broken by ice accumulation can be reduced by locating trees where they can do the least damage.” (University of New Hampshire)

So this Spring, prepare your landscape for all types of weather and consider planting ice resistant species, but make sure you are also properly pruning your mature trees.

Browning Tree Service is a proud member of Indiana Arborist Association and International Society of Arboriculture, serving the West Lafayette and Lafayette, Indiana area!

Resources:

https://web.extension.illinois.edu/forestry/publications/pdf/urban_community_forestry/UIUC_Trees_Ice_Storms.pdf

https://www.kansasforests.org/community_forestry/community_docs/Caring%20for%20Ice-Damaged%20Trees.pdf

https://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000987_Rep1123.pdf