Are some trees more likely to develop frost cracks than others?

Q. Are some trees more likely to develop frost crack damage than others?

A. Not all trees are susceptible to frost crack damage (for example, thick-barked trees or evergreens with low-hanging branches). But some are particularly vulnerable to the extreme temperature swings that cause frost cracks.

In the mid-Michigan area, you’re most likely to see frost cracks appear on young sycamore trees. However, you may also find this winter damage on:

• maples,
• apples,
• cherries,
• horse chestnuts,
• lindens,
• walnuts, and
• willows.

This problem is magnified during a tree’s first winter after planting (which is why winter protection is so important that first winter).