The majority of needle-leaved trees, often known as conifers, such as pines and spruces, keep their needles throughout the year, with the exception of certain deciduous evergreens such as larch and bald cypress. These trees only shed their needles when they become too old or are damaged. Because of their limited surface area and waxy outer coating, needles are better at keeping water than broadleaves are. This is because needles prevent water from being lost through transpiration, which is the process by which water is lost as leaves evaporate. Because ice crystals have the ability to rip apart the cell membranes of living tree cells, a severe freeze or an abrupt drop in temperature can be extremely harmful to living tree tissue. This can result in the death of individual leaves, branches, and even the entire tree. Despite prolonged exposure to bitterly Peoria cold air, wind, and snow, the majority of trees are able to survive the winter by employing specific methods and making careful preparations.

The period of dormancy that trees go through can be arbitrarily broken up into three parts: the early rest, the winter rest, and the after-rest. These stages are distinguished from one another by their own unique sets of physiological activities. The progression from one phase to the next is slow and steady, and during each of the three phases, the buds and twigs are home to a plethora of metabolic and developmental activities. In order for a tree to be able to withstand the colder temperatures of winter, it begins to make preparations at the end of summer. Acclimatization to cold weather takes place gradually, and the appearance of fall color is a sign that the process has been completed and that pre-dormancy is starting.

According to research, there are three fundamental methods in which a tree keeps itself from freezing as it enters its dormant stage for the winter. The first option is to alter their membranes in such a way that they become more flexible; this makes it possible for water to go from within the cells to the gaps between the cells. The redirected water presses on the cell walls, but this pressure is neutralized as the cells shrink and take up less space as a result of the redirected water.

The fluids that are contained within the cells of a tree will become more viscous in order to combat the freezing temperatures. When the days start becoming shorter, trees begin to transform their starch stores into sugars, which serve as the plant's natural protection against the onset of frost. While the water in the spaces between the cells is allowed to freeze, the cellular fluid that is contained within the live cells becomes concentrated with natural sugars, which lowers the freezing point of the fluid within the cells themselves.

Because the cell membranes are more malleable in the winter, they are compressed by the increasing ice crystals, but they are not penetrated as a result.

The third process involves something that has been termed as a "glass phase," which is when the liquid cell contents become so viscous that they appear to be solid. This is a form of "molecular suspended animation," and it mimics the way that silica remains liquid while it is supercooled to become glass. This mechanism is activated when the supercooled contents of the tree's cells begin to experience gradual dehydration as a result of the first two mechanisms. This dehydration makes it possible for the contents of the tree's cells to avoid crystallizing.

The primary purpose of these three biological systems is to prevent living cells from becoming frozen. That is the secret to saving the tree: prevent the cells that are alive from freezing.

Only the living cells, which are mostly made up of phloem cells, need to be protected from the freezing temperatures in order for a tree to survive. This is crucial due to the fact that a major portion of the living trunk of a tree is composed of cells that have died, such as xylem cells. These dead cells are capable of freezing, and they often do so, but even the coldest temperatures have no negative impact on them. When a tree is subjected to temperatures below freezing, the bulk of its above-ground cells will, in fact, freeze on a regular basis; nevertheless, the living cells will not freeze and will continue to function, albeit at a reduced capacity. Even though they are in the same location as dead cells that have solidified into ice crystals and are at the same temperature, some living cells in the trunk have not frozen over and are still functioning normally.

This seemingly magical mix of bendable membranes, natural antifreeze, and glasslike supercooling allows plants prevent freezing harm to live cells. Frost forms on the outside, while viscous dehydration occurs on the inside of the tree. Research also tells us that trees are the oldest and largest living organisms on our planet! In order to live for such a long time and grow to such great sizes, they must have developed highly particular survival tactics.

On the other hand, there are instances in which trees are unable to survive in extremely harsh environments, particularly when nature presents an unusual shift. Even though trees have developed incredible mechanisms to endure the winter cold, there are times when temperatures fall so low that they can really explode. When temperatures drop to dangerously low levels for an extended period of time, or when trees haven't been given enough time to adjust to the cold before it arrives, the sap that keeps a tree alive can begin to freeze. Because sap contains water, it swells up as it freezes and exerts pressure on the bark of the tree, which might cause the bark to crack and cause an explosion, so to speak.

It is essential to provide your trees with the appropriate winter care to safeguard them with mulch and water to assist trees in surviving the winter months. 

As with all of your tree care needs, call Chipper Tree Care if you need tree care, tree removal, or you need tree pruning! 

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