Heat Stress & Drought Signs in Trees

As the summer heat peaks in August, trees across our landscapes feel the pressure. Heat stress and drought can significantly affect both young and mature trees. When temperatures rise and rainfall becomes scarce, trees struggle to retain moisture and maintain healthy functions.

How to Spot Heat Stress: The most common signs of heat stress include wilting or curling leaves, early leaf drop, scorched leaf edges, and overall canopy thinning. In severe cases, entire branches may become brittle or die back. Trees with shallow root systems, like maples or dogwoods, are especially vulnerable.

What You Can Do: Proper watering is essential. A slow, deep soak once or twice a week is more effective than frequent shallow watering. Adding mulch around the base of your tree (but not touching the trunk) helps retain soil moisture and regulate temperature. Avoid pruning during extreme heat as it may add additional stress to the tree.

At Galaxy Tree Service, we offer soil moisture assessments and can recommend custom care plans to keep your trees hydrated and thriving through the hottest part of the year.