Q • I know that when we get dry conditions, trees will start dropping leaves. I have about 25 trees in my yard of various types — cherry, oak, golden rain, sweet gum, maples, red buds and others. The only trees that have dropped leaves are my three tulip poplars. Why is it only these trees doing this?
Actually, we’re seeing a lot of premature leaf loss on many different garden trees. In the wild, tulip poplars are often found in damp forests along streams, but growing above the flood line. However, they are adaptable to dryer upland areas such as we find in our average home gardens. Nonetheless, they are one of the first tree species to react to extended periods of drought by shedding leaves, so in effect it’s not surprising when this occurs.
You might find this online article at tinyurl.com/9l2vpnq helpful.
Write to Chip Tynan at [email protected] or Horticultural Answer Service, Department PD, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, Mo. 63166. Check his blog at: mobot.org/gardeninghelp/hilight.asp