Is Your Tree Losing Its Bark? Do You Know Why?

Understanding Kansas City Tree Care Could Help You Find Out

It takes up to 40 years for a tree to reach maturity.

And to get there, sometimes meticulous care is required.

If you’re paying close attention to the trees on your property, then you’ll become aware of any issues as quickly as possible and can get them the help they need from a tree care expert.

But if you don’t notice a problem - or worse, choose to ignore it - you just might lose the tree that adds character and shade to your backyard.

Peeling bark can be a sign of health or environmental issues, which is why it’s important to keep a close eye on your trees and call a tree arborist near you should you need help caring for them. Otherwise, you might have to reset the clock on tree-growing and wait a few decades for your yard to return to its former glory.

Some Trees Naturally Shed Bark

If you see a fresh layer of bark covering the woody part of the tree after the old bark peels away, the tree is probably a natural bark shedder.

As trees grow, the layer of bark gets thicker, and dead, old bark falls off, just like humans are constantly shedding skin cells. Sometimes it’s a slow process, and other times it’s very quick and noticeable. It happens more often in winter, especially for tree species like silver maple, birch, sycamore, redbud, shagbark hickory, and scotch pine.

If your tree is shedding bark, and it’s one of these species, you don’t have anything at all to worry about. Just enjoy your tree’s unique appearance and marvel at the wonder of nature.

Diseases Can Cause Bark Shedding on Trees

If you see fungus under the peeling bark, the tree likely has a disease, especially if it’s a hardwood tree, like an oak.

This fungal disease, called Hypoxylon canker, also causes yellowing and wilting leaves and dying branches. You’ll be able to spot the fungus under the peeling bark, too. Other symptoms include a thinning canopy, white or stringy sapwood in the cankered area, and small leaves. You may even spot epicormic shoots - also called water sprouts - growing on the trunks and tree limbs, and the death of feeder roots.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for this fungal disease, and the tree must be removed and destroyed to prevent its spread. Cutting down the tree also will minimize any possible property damage or injury, because this fungus weakens the tree and can cause it to fall haphazardly.

If you suspect your tree is suffering from a fungal disease, call a certified arborist right way so they can provide expert tree care and determine next steps to take to prevent more damage.

Environmental Factors Affect Tree Bark

Trees with bare wood under the peeled-away bark may be affected by another environmental factor.

If your tree’s bark is peeling only on the south or southwest side, for example, the problem could be sunscald or frost damage. If the area of exposed wood is expansive, it can eventually kill the tree. A certified arborist can help to prevent sunscald damage by wrapping the tree trunk or applying a special coating.

If you have lots of deer near your property, they also can cause the bark of young trees to appear as if it is peeling. White-tail deer in particular will gnaw on anything they can sink their teeth into, including acorns on oak trees and twigs. The best way to keep deer away from your young trees is to put up a protective fence around them, or to wrap them in chicken wire or mesh.

Call Arb Tech for Tree Care in Prairie Village, Olathe, Blue Springs, or Platte City

If you live anywhere in the greater Kansas City area, Arb Tech is ready to help you take the best possible care of your trees. We dispatch our certified arborists all over the metro to ensure that our green, growy friends are healthy and standing strong, despite everything that could threaten them.

With tree preservation as our utmost goal, Arb Tech works hard to keep your trees upright, tidy, and looking their best, through services like aerial and structural pruning, canopy maintenance, storm risk prevention, cabling and bracing, and crown cleaning.

Get off the ladder, and get out of the tree. Instead, pick up the phone and call Arb Tech at (913) 954-7004, when you need help diagnosing your tree’s problem or taking care of it.