Can Trees Get Sunburned?

Sunscald is an environmental problem that is often found on small trees within a few years of being planted in the landscape.

Thin-barked trees that have been planted in the past couple of years can benefit from a tree wrap in the fall. vittoria_vittoria/Shutterstock

Q: We noticed that the bark is starting to fall off one of our trees. The tree was planted about three years ago and has been doing fine. The trunk is about 6 inches across, and the lowest branch is about 6 feet above the ground. We peeled off the loose bark, and it is missing from 2 to 5 feet off the ground, all on one side. What should we do?

A: Like I always say, only three things affect plant health: insects, disease, and everything else. Look for ants, termites, and borers, and look for signs that they caused the damage. Diseases cause lots of problems in plants, but the damaged bark is not likely a disease problem.