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The Secret Meaning Behind A White Painted Tree
By MICHAEL ALEXANDER UCCELLO
The practice of painting a tree white is called whitewashing. It is traditionally made of water, lime, and salt and has many benefits for tree health and protection.
One reason for whitewashing a tree is to protect it from pests. The white paint acts as a barrier and prevents insects and rodents from gnawing at the bark and weakening the tree.
Younger, thin-barked trees are more vulnerable to sunscald, where bark burns under sunlight. The white paint repels the light to keep the bark healthy.
Frost damage is another concern for locations where temperatures fluctuate often. White paint can help regulate the temperature of a tree through hot and cold weather.
Creating a white backdrop will allow you to easily monitor the tree for diseases like fungal growth, insect activity, or abnormal bark patterns and catch it early on.
A special tree paint is used or a half-and-half mixture of white latex paint diluted with water. On a sunny day, apply to the tree trunk until about 18 inches in height.