At the Side of Spring Creek - Signs of Life in Spring

If my allergies are any sign, trees and shrubs are definitely "springing" back to life this month. You might be eager to take a tally of the young plants in your buffer that will need to be replaced this spring. Don't be too hasty in deciding that a young tree died over winter. Counting up your dead trees (or assessing mortality rates, for those looking for fancy terms) is really a job better suited for late summer and early fall. Lush green, leafy branches make it a whole lot easier to tell what is dead and what is alive. You can take that walk through your buffer in the growing season and mark the trees that are clearly dead. Then you can replant them at a more ideal time of year (late fall or early spring.) For us, a roll of brightly colored flagging tape is a must-have in our pockets when we are walking through the buffer any time of year. It's easy to tie a piece of tape around the tube/stake/dead trunk and then quickly count up the bright flags from a distance when we are ready to obtain new trees for replacements.

However, spring is now, and you likely have lots of pent-up winter angst from not being able to dig the earth and tend your gardens. If you didn't pre-flag your dead buffer trees, all is not lost. However, here are some things to keep in mind when trying to decide if a young tree is dead or alive in April.

Not all trees bud burst at the same time. Some woody plants are eager to start their new shoot and leaf growth as soon as they defrost. Your garden lilacs are frequently among the first to show up. But that does not mean all the other woody plants are ready to get out of bed yet (can you relate?) According to data available on the USA National Phenology Network, in 2021 in Pennsylvania, lilacs started initial shoot and leaf growth in late February and we're all growing by mid-March. That same year, If you were to have looked at your buffer trees at the same time, you likely would have only seen growth on elderberries and a few other early-risers. Chokecherries weren't really going until mid-April in 2021, and black walnuts, pussy willows, and redbuds didn’t hit their stride until nearly May in Pennsylvania.

This chart, from the USA National Phenology Network, shows the 2021 reports of new shoot and leaf growth on various species of trees and shrubs in Pennsylvania.

Young trees and shrubs don't flower. You might also notice all of the spicebush, pussy willows, and redbuds around town filled with color from early spring flowers. And yet, your buffer has nothing showing. Just like animals, your trees and shrubs have to reach a level of maturity (the physiological kind, not emotional maturity) before they can reproduce. So don't expect to see flowers until your trees are at least 5-10 years old, maybe longer.

To sum it up; be patient and look closely before you uproot a perfectly healthy tree just because it is young and sleeping in a little. Stay tuned for more stories At the Side of Spring Creek.