My Birch Trees Are Bent From the Weight of Snow

After a winter storm, birch trees often bow under the weight of snow. If left too long, branches could break, resulting in costly damage. Birch trees are more prone to winter damage than other types of trees. Take a few preventative steps when landscaping and caring for your trees to minimize winter injury.

A defining characteristic of many birch trees (Betula spp.) is the papery bark that peels off in curled pieces. Birch leaves are toothed and arranged in an alternate pattern. Trees bear separate male and female flowers; later in the growing season, cones develop. The European white birch is a common landscape tree that reaches up to 60 feet tall. It is vulnerable in certain regions to the bronze birch borer. Unlike the European white birch with its white bark, the river birch has multicolored bark that reveals itself in layers. It is indigenous to wet habitats and is resilient in standing water.

Snow and ice have the potential to cause significant damage in the landscape. When weighed down by snow or ice, some tree branches bend or break. Winter damage becomes even more costly if branches snap over a house or power lines.

Trees vulnerable to breaking under the weight of snow or ice have certain characteristics: multiple main stems, weak narrow branch angles and brittle wood. A joint publication of the Universities of Wisconsin and Illinois compiled literature on tree species and their susceptibility to winter damage. River birch, for example, is considered vulnerable to snow and ice damage. Similarly, the Bradford pear, a tree notorious for splitting during wind storms, is also vulnerable. Other trees that may bend or break during winter include Chinese and Siberian elms, poplars and willows. Smaller trees, such as crabapple and witch-hazel are considered resistant to winter damage.

Some winter damage is preventable. Remove heavy snow from bending branches. North Carolina State University suggests sweeping the snow upward with a broom. During the growing season, remove narrow branch angles from vulnerable trees. If snow or ice damages your trees, remove broken branches or prune back split branches. The University of Illinois Extension advises not to remove more than a third of the original branches when pruning the tree.