What causes “winter burn” in trees?

The needles on some of my evergreens have turned brown. My neighbor at the cottage told me that she thinks it’s from winter burn. Could she be correct? Will the trees recover? 

Without seeing the trees, it’s impossible to know for sure—tree foliage can turn brown for many reasons. But your neighbor could be right. 

“Winter burn occurs when a tree loses more water through its leaves than it can absorb from the frozen ground,” says Ryan Statham, the district manager at the Strathroy, Ontario, office of The Davey Tree Expert Company. There are multiple possible symptoms to look for, including brown, dry foliage; discoloured, damaged, or cracked bark; and in the spring, die back at the tips of the branches, with no new growth.  

To read the rest of Ryan’s advice, click here.