Surviving The Winter in Fletcher, NC
Like humans trees are almost 50% water. This means that during the winter, trees face a significant threat each year. The idea of water freezing inside of trees is highly unsafe; however it is part of nature. Towards the end of the summer our trees start to get ready for the approaching winter. The largest changes happen throughout the last month of the fall. Although it can be difficult to see, it truly is a wonderful thing. The fact is scientists have discovered several exciting methods by which trees work to survive the winter, but for the most part we still aren’t too sure.
One of the most common theories is that during the initial days of cold weather the trees cell membranes become more flexible. This process is said to allow the cells to push water out into open spaces where they won’t affect the cells as heavily. In other words the water will freeze in between the cells rather than inside them. The second theory is that sugars that were stored in the tree during the summer operate as an anti-freezing agent. The glucose has a much lower freezing point and when it is brought out in excess it prevents the cells from freezing.