Snow and ice injury to trees and shrubs: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

Occasionally, here in Minnesota “Old Man Winter” throws us a heavy snow or ice storm, which can cause damage to trees and shrubs. In some cases a large limb falls off, which could cause property damage or even prompt the removal of the tree.

As a homeowner the best thing you can do is have an arborist evaluate your property, and prune trees which may have structural weaknesses before a storm can take them out.

Many woody shrubs are also prone to branch breakage. In many cases woody shrubs have the ability to generate new growth from the ground up, which in turn rejuvenates the shrub and replaces the older growth in time.

In cases where evergreen shrubs branches become bent down or broken it’s a little more difficult. They do not generate new growth, so removing a branch will permanently leave an empty space. I also see a lot of homeowners tying them back up to hold their shape, but they never look the same and replacing might be the best option