Wichita ? The dry winter and last week’s rapid increase in temperature have trees throughout Kansas dropping their leaves more than usual, a state horticulturist said this week.

Ward Upham, horticulturist with Kansas State University Research and Extension, sent an e-mail advisory saying trees typically drop leaves during the transition from cool to warm weather.

But Upham said it was more extensive than in past years.

“We have had reports of trees losing 80 percent of their leaves,” he said. “This is probably related to the very cool weather we had earlier this month followed by the extreme heat last week. The winter drought probably didn’t help much, either, especially in those areas that have again become dry.”

Sycamore, maple, pin oak and birch are the types of trees most likely to be shedding leaves, Upham said. He said some sycamores get a disease called anthracnose this time of year, but he blamed the weather for the leaf drop.

“Regardless of the cause, healthy trees should be fine,” he said.