A long vertical crack on the south or southwest side of a young tree trunk is often sunscald, a common winter injury along the Front Range.
On clear winter days, strong sun warms thin bark and activates the tissue underneath. When temperatures plunge after sunset, that tissue freezes and dies, leaving cracked, sunken, or peeling bark that invites insects and disease.
Thin-barked trees like honeylocust, maple, linden, and fruit trees are most at risk, especially in their first several years. A light-colored tree wrap applied in late fall and removed in spring reflects sunlight and helps keep bark temperatures steady.
If a tree on your Englewood, Lakewood, or Golden property already shows bark damage, our ISA-certified arborists can evaluate the wound and recommend care that helps it close properly.
#Sunscald #ColoradoTrees #TreeHealth #SouthwestDenver
An authentic photo of a young tree with a light-colored trunk wrap in a local yard, or a close-up of sunscald cracking on the southwest side of a trunk. Real photos outperform stock.
Canva text suggestion: "Wrap Young Trunks Before Winter" or "Stop Sunscald Before It Starts"