Can trees really ‘explode’ in cold weather? We asked a Fort Worth horticulturist
It’s cold this weekend in North Texas — with temperatures possibly reaching record amounts of cold overnight Sunday, Jan. 25 into Monday, Jan. 26.
But is that cold enough to make a tree “explode” — a claim that’s been making the rounds on the internet? The Star-Telegram’s Matt Adams reached out to a local expert about that claim last week.
Will this cold make trees ‘explode’ in Fort Worth?
Fort Worth Botanic Garden horticulturist Maddie Fay told the Star-Telegram that the dramatic swing from warm to freezing temperatures puts some added stress on the plants at the Botanic Garden, and in very rare cases, that temperature drop can cause a tree to “explode.”
A tree “explodes” when more sap than normal accumulates in a tree’s trunk during unseasonable warmth. When the temperature shifts into freezing, the sap can expand and cause the tree to snap apart, usually with a loud bang.
However, Fay said since that mostly happens in trees with high sap content, like maples, which usually grow farther north.
So, it’s highly unlikely we’ll see any exploding trees in Fort Worth this week.
