A warm, dry spring across El Paso County has left trees in distress and in some cases wearing the signs of several years of hardship.

Evergreens display the battle scars of radical temperature swings, overexposure to de-icing salt, drought and other challenges in their needles for an extended period. The reddish brown needles, stark against the green, can stay on a conifer for three years before falling, explained City Forester Dennis Will. In some evergreen species, dead needles can linger longer.

“They are exhibiting that old damage,” he said.

A dry, late spring and early summer have left the clay under much of Colorado Springs parched.

“Now the trees can’t get that drink that they need,” Will said.

Colorado Springs received .71 inches of water in June, well below the 2.27 inches it receives on average for the month, according to the National Weather Service. The monsoon could move in during mid-July, but it’s expected to be drier than usual, said Cameron Simcoe, a meteorologist for the agency.

The northern part of the county is considered to be “abnormally dry” by the U.S. Drought Monitor. But it has not slipped into drought conditions yet.

While watering is a good idea, it won’t change the color of the needles, Will noted.

Bugs, salt and weather

Evergreens across El Paso County are fending off a number of different foes, with a beetle infestation in Black Forest, an overabundance of de-icing salt making its way to urban trees, and unusual or extreme weather across the county.

Hikers may have noticed the “bathtub ring” — or red belt — of evergreens in Cheyenne Canyon, the result of damage from the spring, Will said. A temperature inversion in the canyon hit when the trees were loading up on moisture, holding cold air at a certain elevation and freezing the needles on trees. The trees should survive, although it sets them back, Will said.

Around parking lots and major roadways, distressed evergreens may have seen too much exposure to thawing salts. At times, the salt-mixed snow is piled onto the landscaped portions of parking lots, Will said. While it can seem like a good idea to put snow on the plants, the salt leaches into the soil, as well, hurting the trees, he said.

In addition, almost yearly since the bomb cyclone of 2019, the community has experienced major weather events, such as a heavy snows or high windstorms, which have damaged trees and property and it’s heightened awareness about tree health, said Mike Powell, owner of Green Empire Tree Service. A windstorm in December 2021 pushed over numerous mature trees, which blocked roads and damaged cars and homes.

“There is more conversation and more people are curious about trees, tree care,” he said.

In the older portions of town, where mature spruce trees have been trimmed to look like enormous lollipops, extreme winds are likely to snap them off at the base or blow them over, said Allisa Linfield, horticultural program coordinator at the Colorado State University Extension Office.

One of the biggest ongoing challenges Powell has seen is posed by the bark and ips beetles, also known as engraver beetles, in Black Forest.

Hail, including storms that hit hard last year, can also damage tree bark and leave trees stressed, Linfield said.

Investment in trees

Southeast Colorado Springs and neighborhoods east of downtown are set to see a large investment in trees, after the Forest Service granted the city $9 million last year.

The city is close to hiring two staff foresters to manage the grant work, Will said. The initial efforts will focus on an inventory of trees in those areas. Contractors will then remove and prune trees. The work to plant trees will come later, he said.

“We think we might be able to plant a tree for every tree we remove,” he said.

The city doesn’t expect many of those plantings to be street trees, bordering public roads or rights-of-way. Instead the city expects to focus on working with residents who are interested in caring for a tree long-term on their private property, Will said.

Southeast Colorado Springs is a tough place for trees because it tends to be drier than other parts of town, and trees there require irrigation.

Caring for trees

For residents, preserving trees is typically preferable, whenever possible, because a leafy canopy can keep homes, sidewalks and roads cooler.

“If they are on the west or south side (of a home), it adds enormously to reducing the need of air conditioning,” said Judith Rice-Jones, a master gardener and tree advocate.

Arborists can help identify whether a tree is suffering from a pest or disease, Linfield said. Different species of beetles can be found throughout the county, and will go after already stressed trees, she said.

It’s also important to water trees enough, particularly in the first years after they are planted and throughout the winter.

On the bright side, losing a tree can present an opportunity to pick out a native species or a variety better suited to the conditions of your property, which vary widely in El Paso County, several experts said.

“You can grieve that loss and be excited about what you are going to plant in its place,” Linfield said.

Contact the writer at mary.shinn@gazettedev.gazette.com or 719-429-9264.