After a long stretch of dry weather, Northern New Jersey is officially out of drought. But that doesn’t mean your trees have fully recovered. The unusually dry fall and winter of 2024 left many trees stressed and struggling, and even with recent rainfall, those effects can linger.
So, what does that mean for your landscape? We’ll break down how drought impacts your tree’s short-and long-term health, and what you can do now to help them bounce back.
Key Takeaways
- Northern New Jersey experienced a severe drought from fall 2024 through spring 2025, with conditions finally improving by June 2025.
- Drought stress doesn’t end when the rain returns, it can weaken roots, disrupt nutrient flow, and leave trees vulnerable to pests and disease for years.
- Young trees and shallow-rooted species, like dogwoods, birches, maples, and willows, are most susceptible to drought stress in our area.
- Homeowners can help drought-stressed trees by providing deep, supplemental watering and applying mulch, but should avoid pruning or fertilizing during dry conditions.
- Professional tree care is essential for severely drought-stressed trees, as Certified Arborists can assess damage, provide targeted treatments, and help restore tree health before problems become irreversible.
How Climate Change Is Making Tree Stress Worse
Droughts in Northern New Jersey have always been a challenge, but in recent years, they’ve become more frequent, unpredictable, and prolonged.
Homeowners across the region felt the impact in the fall and winter of 2024, when the area experienced an unusually dry stretch with little relief. By early 2025, much of Northern New Jersey remained in drought or abnormally dry conditions, with full recovery not arriving until June.
This pattern isn’t just an anomaly – it’s part of a larger shift. Climate change is intensifying weather extremes nationwide, including in New Jersey. According to NASA and other scientific sources, warming global temperatures are making dry periods drier, longer, and more damaging. For trees, this means less water when they need it most and longer recovery times after these stressful events.
How Drought Affects Your Trees
A mature tree will likely be unbothered by a brief dry spell. However, it will begin to demonstrate the signs of drought stress after enough time. Young trees often deal with more drought stress than mature ones with a large and established root system.
Droughts cause harm to trees in the long and short term.
The Short-Term Effects of Drought
In the short term, a tree will not have adequate water to perform photosynthesis, a necessary process for converting sunlight into nutrients. Water is the key to trees being able to convert nutrients into energy.
One of the first signs of drought stress in a tree is wilting leaves. As the water levels in leaves decrease, they will begin to droop and wilt. This process typically starts as temporary wilting, where the leaves will wilt during the hottest parts of the day and then regain their shape in the evening when it cools down. As the drought persists, permanent wilting will occur.
One of the most significant problems drought causes is the trees’ stomata closing to prevent transpiration. Transpiration is the process where trees naturally release water vapor from their stomata, but when they sense hot and dry conditions, they will close their stomata and stop the process to conserve water. This does not prevent water loss, as the tree will still lose it naturally through the leaf surface.
While a brief shutdown of transpiration isn’t much to worry about, if it persists long enough, the tree will essentially shut down and not draw nutrients from the ground. This increases stress in the tree and exacerbates the effects of drought.
Roots can also die during a drought, especially the finer feeder roots that help a tree get adequate water and nutrients.
The Lingering, Long-Term Effects of Drought
Once the rain returns and drought conditions subside, you may think the worst is over for your trees. However, this isn’t entirely accurate, as they will still be dealing with the long-term effects of the drought.
The death of roots has more than just immediate effects, as it will impact your tree’s ability to get adequate water once the rain returns. It will take years for the roots to expand back to their original size.
The stress to your trees from drought won’t disappear overnight once we get a little rain. Instead, it can linger for years to come. And with this stress comes the increased risk of damage from pests and diseases.
And, of course, a prolonged drought and no intervention from a homeowner can lead to a tree dying and necessitating removal.
How to Help Your Trees During and After a Northern New Jersey Drought
With how damaging drought can be in the long and short term, it’s vital to take action to protect your tree from the most damaging effects of drought and help it recover. Some of the care we recommend (and some things to avoid) include:
A soaker hose slowly and evenly distributes water
Water During and After a Drought
When rainfall isn’t enough, your trees rely on you to make up the difference. Drought stress can take a serious toll, especially in urban and suburban environments, where root space is limited. Providing supplemental water during dry periods helps trees survive the immediate stress, and continued watering after a drought can support their recovery.
The key is to water deeply and slowly. Quick surface watering won’t do much good, as most of it evaporates or only reaches shallow roots. Instead, use a soaker hose or drip irrigation system to apply water gradually around the dripline (the outer edge of the tree’s canopy). This allows moisture to seep deep into the soil, encouraging stronger, deeper root growth.
Even after a drought ends, your trees may still be playing catch-up. Dehydrated roots, depleted energy reserves, and heat stress can linger well beyond the first rainy day. Consistent deep watering during this recovery phase helps rebuild resilience.
PRO TIP: To check if your tree could benefit from supplemental water, dig a hole that is a few inches deep and feel the soil. If the soil is damp and moist, your tree likely does not need additional water. However, if it is dry, you’ll want to begin watering. Alternatively, insert a probe (like a screwdriver) and see if it comes out dry or damp.
Ensure You Have Mulch Around Your Tree
A light layer of mulch (between two and four inches) has numerous benefits for your trees, and many of them are very useful to mitigate the effects of drought.
Mulch acts like a blanket for your soil, preventing it from heating up too much. The cooler soil won’t have to deal with as much water evaporating, leaving more for your tree during a drought. And it will ensure your trees can still get sufficient hydration when the rain returns, instead of most of the rainwater being lost to evaporation.
Avoid Pruning During a Drought
While tree pruning has numerous benefits, it is a service we recommend avoiding during a drought. When conditions are dry, trees need all the energy they can spare to maintain themselves. Pruning live branches will cause additional stress and force a tree to use more energy to heal the pruning wound.
While you shouldn’t prune live wood, it is okay to trim any dead branches you see, as these are more likely to fail during a storm. If the drought has killed any branches, remove them promptly to protect your property.
Hold off on pruning live branches until your tree shows clear signs of recovery, like new growth or a healthy canopy. Jumping in too soon, even after the rain returns, can set your tree back and prolong its stress.
Hold Off on Fertilizing Trees
Fertilization is a beneficial service for trees when the weather is favorable. However, during a drought, fertilization can harm trees by causing stress and damaging roots.
Fertilization will waste precious water and energy from your tree, as it needs these to convert the fertilizer into usable nutrients. Once the water reserves are gone, the fertilizer can kill the roots. This new growth will require additional energy to upkeep, increasing the stress on your tree.
After the drought is over and your tree has sufficient water and lower stress, you can talk to a professional about fertilization to help your tree recover from any damage. When a tree can properly use the fertilizer, it provides a boost of energy to help in recovery.
Monitor for Secondary Problems After a Drought
Drought-stressed trees are especially vulnerable to secondary problems, like insect infestations and fungal diseases. Opportunistic pests often target weakened trees, and a tree recovering from drought provides the perfect opening. Left unchecked, these issues can lead to irreversible damage or even tree death.
To protect your landscape, have a professional arborist inspect your trees regularly after a drought. Early detection and prompt treatment are critical. With the right care, most healthy trees will regain their natural defenses over time.
Frequently Asked Questions About Drought Stress to Trees
We understand droughts can be worrisome, and many people are concerned about how their trees are doing after the multi-month drought in 2024 and 2025. To help you understand the dangers of drought and how it impacts your trees, we’ve answered some common questions homeowners have.
Are droughts only a problem in the summer?
Not at all. While summer droughts tend to get the most attention, drought conditions can happen during any season, including winter. In fact, winter droughts can be even more challenging for trees because the ground is often frozen, making it difficult to provide supplemental water when your tree needs it most.
Trees still lose moisture in winter through their needles or bark (a process called transpiration), but their ability to absorb water is limited. That’s why winter drought stress can sneak up on you and why it’s just as important to monitor your trees during colder months.
What species of trees are most susceptible to drought in our area?
Some trees to pay special attention to during a period of dry weather include:
- Dogwoods
- Birches
- Many maple species
- Willows
These trees typically have shallow root systems and are more susceptible to drought stress than other species with deep and expansive root systems.
How does improving soil structure help mitigate the effects of drought?
Soil with proper aeration, structure, and nutrient density will help your tree survive the worst of a drought. Common soil problems, like compacted soil, make it harder for trees to create a far-reaching root system. Tree preservation services can correct these problems.
Don’t Let Drought Take Down Your Trees – Call Aspen Tree
Drought can take a serious toll on your trees, even long after the dry weather ends. If you’re seeing signs of stress or just want peace of mind that your trees will bounce back, Aspen Tree is here to help.
Our tree preservation experts know how to support trees through tough conditions and restore their health before pests, diseases, or root damage set in. Whether you’re mid-drought or dealing with the aftermath, we’ll give your trees exactly what they need to recover. Call us today at 201-939-8733 or request a quote online.
