Weather Tidbits: Tree’s Response to Spring

This edition of Weather Tidbits will be discussing how trees respond to the approach of Spring. Trees enter a state of dormancy during the winter. They leave dormancy and bud out as Spring approaches. There are a few factors trees consider before committing to budding and leafing out. Those factors are chilling requirements, growing degree days, and photoperiod (also known as daylight length). Various tree species require a minimum temperature experienced for some time during winter before triggering bud break. Each tree species also requires a certain number of days above the minimum temperature threshold. Photoperiod is also important, which prevents trees from budding out during anomalous early-season warmth. All of this to so this helps native tree bud right on schedule. This is harder for non-native trees.