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(Iowa) -- Temperature swings across much of Iowa this week could cause temporary tree damage.
Red maple and maple hybrid trees are starting to bud early this year due to unseasonably warm temperatures, but with chances for snow in the forecast, a cold snap could damage the exposed buds. Tivon Feeley, Forest Health Forester with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says,
"In late spring, let's say end of June, that tissue that's damaged now will start to brown and fall out, and that's when people will really notice it, and it can be quite alarming. The good news is it won't kill your tree. It's just all aesthetics."
Feeley says the state of Iowa does see this kind of temporary tree damage from time to time, but he expects this year to be worse than most. The DNR says the condition is sometimes mistaken as insect feeding or tree disease, when it's actually not threatening to the trees. The DNR recommends homeowners monitor their trees, but the aesthetic damage from temperature swings should not cause a need for extra pruning or pesticides.
