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Morning Edition
Cathy Wurzer and Gracie Stockton

Minnesota trees in turmoil due to drastic seasonal changes

University of Minnesota’s Cloquet Forestry Center in Cloquet
The University of Minnesota’s Cloquet Forestry Center as seen on Sept. 12 near Holyoke.
Derek Montgomery for MPR News

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Minnesota’s trees are having a tough time.

There was barely any snow last winter, leaving roots unprotected. Then the soil became downright swampy after an extremely soggy spring and early summer. Now, conditions have flipped to widespread drought in a matter of weeks. It all comes on the heels of several years of persistent, statewide and significant drought year-round, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

“The unevenness of the precipitation, where you get way more than trees can use for a period and then almost nothing, is just not good for trees,” Lee Frelich, director of the Center for Forest Ecology at the University of Minnesota, told MPR News.

A September with temperatures that felt more like August didn’t help, either.

Trees did begin to recover from the previous drought last spring but quickly found their roots waterlogged, again slowing or stopping their healing and growth, according to Frelich. Tropical rainforest-like weather meant more fungi developing, spreading fungal diseases to flowering crab trees, willows and more. At the end of the summer, a flash drought set in, causing birch trees without nearby water to lose their leaves. Hot evenings have contributed to duller fall colors, too.

“A lot of trees have bare branches in the upper part of the crown, they’re choosing to shed their leaves early, and then we had all those high wind storms, the severe thunderstorms during the summer,” Frelich continued. “So a lot of trees have broken branches or their leaves were shredded by the violent winds… there’s a lot going on.”

Folks can help the flora by putting out a sprinkler and saturating at least the top foot of soil a few times before the first frost, Frelich said. But he hopes, however unlikely, 2-3 inches of rain would fall this month.

Learn more about protecting trees, shrubs, lawns and gardens from a changing climate by visiting the U of M Extension’s website.