2015 is on track to be the wettest year recorded in Colorado Springs.  This along with an early Arctic freeze last November and cool/cold temperatures in May have created some unique problems for trees and shrubs. Following are some of Mountain High’s observations this summer.

• Douglas-Fir tussock moth populations blew up on Cheyenne Mountain and in Cheyenne Cañon, defoliating thousands of Fir trees and causing a visible band of brown trees across the mountain.

• Fire blight has shown up with a vengeance on many Apple and Crabapple trees. Spring Snow Crabapple trees have been especially hard hit.
• Leaf spot fungi abound due to higher precipitation and humidity.  These are causing early leaf fall on Cottonwoods and Aspens.
• Many Juniper shrubs that looked poor earlier in the season due to freeze injury are looking even worse. Also, as it gets hotter more branches that were chewed by voles this winter are now turning brown.
• With the heat of summer, random leaves on some trees and shrubs are browning and wilting.  They are perhaps shedding overgrowth due to a wet year.
• There is continued evidence of freeze injury to plants.  Siberian Elms that we thought were leafing out have now shut down and are dead or partially dead.  Many Ash trees are dead or partially dead and have a distorted, adventitious sucker growth emerging from cracks in their trunks.  Dead Cherry trees, Plums and Willows abound.
• Freeze damaged Cotoneaster, Privet, Burning bush, gold flame Spireas, and Euonymus are recovering and resprouting from the roots.