NEEDHAM, Mass. —
As autumn leaves change color and fall, experts say these seasonal shifts can reveal important signs about tree health and stress, which may help prevent power outages.
“It’s that time of the year when the days are getting shorter, nights are getting colder and the leaves are turning and falling. But these vibrant colors are not only beautiful, they also offer clues about the health of your tree,” said StormTeam 5’s Sean Kelly.
Russell Holman, Eversource supervisor of vegetation management, said fall foliage can help identify trees that are struggling and whether pruning or removal may be necessary.
“A tree that is under stress will drop its leaves earlier, turn fall foliage earlier and will also be able to show indications of disease on the tree,” Holman said.
Holman emphasized the importance of observing how quickly leaves change. If a tree’s leaves turn several weeks before surrounding trees, it may be experiencing drought stress.
“So when we are looking at fall foliage, we are looking at how soon the leaves are turning, what part of the tree is turning sooner than another. That may be an indicator of stress in that portion of the tree and it would be a way of a magnifying glass at looking closer at what’s going on in that particular section,” Holman said.
Discrepancies within individual branches of the same tree can also indicate issues. If one branch is bare while others still have leaves, the bare branch may need pruning. Additionally, if most trees in an area are holding their leaves but one is already bare, it could signal that the tree is under stress.
“If homeowners are seeing their trees turn earlier, they are seeing indications of decay or cracks at the base or mushrooms or signs of the trunk being hollow, they would want to get in touch with an arborist to look at it,” Holman said.