If You See Trees Painted White in Minnesota, Here’s What it Really Means

Why Are Some Trees Painted White at the Bottom? The Real Reason Might Surprise You

If you’ve driven through rural Minnesota or even walked around some city parks, you may have spotted something a little odd. A tree trunk painted white, but just at the base: no explanation, no sign, just a line of ghostly trees.

READ MORE: Mysterious Concrete Structures in Minnesota Have a Secret Past

It’s one of those things that makes you go “hmmm”

It turns out there’s a perfectly practical reason some Minnesotans are taking the time to give some trees a fresh coat of white paint, especially this time of year.

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What’s with the white paint on tree trunks?

Painting the lower trunk of a tree, typically the first 18 to 24 inches, is actually a tried-and-true method to protect it. In Minnesota, where winters are harsh and springs can bring wild temperature swings, that white paint plays defense. The biggest enemy is sunscald. Yes, even up here in the North Star State, the sun can wreak havoc.

According to the University of Minnesota Extension, sunscald typically occurs on the south or southwest side of thin-barked trees, and the damage shows up as cracks or dead bark due to fluctuating temps in late winter and early spring. The white paint helps reflect sunlight, keeping the bark’s temperature more stable and preventing that damaging freeze-thaw cycle.

But white paint on trees isn't just for sunscald protection

In rural areas of Minnesota, people have used white paint on tree trunks for generations, not just for sun protection, but also to help prevent damage from lawn equipment like mowers and trimmers (which can injure bark and open the tree to disease).

White paint on tree trunks is also believed to deter some pests like borers that prefer laying eggs near the base of trees.

While this technique is more common in southern states, Minnesotans who grow fruit trees like apples, plums, and pears are using the white paint (or a white reflective tree guard) to help their trees survive long term. Fruit trees are especially prone to sunscald and insect issues due to their delicate bark.

Should you paint your tree trunks white?

If you’ve got young trees or fruit trees in your yard, especially ones with thin bark, painting the base with a 50/50 mix of white latex paint and water might be worth considering before major sun exposure ramps up.

But before you grab just any paint from the store, it's important to know that you should always use latex-based paint, not oil-based, which can harm the tree. You’re not going for aesthetics here, just protection.