Tree wraps and guards are often recommended for protection from wildlife and weather on young trees, with placement of protective materials occurring either in late fall or at the time of planting. Wraps and guards are useful in a variety of situations, but users must also take care to remove materials when appropriate to avoid damage to trees.

Tree wraps may be made of thin cardboard, stretchable fabric, burlap or other flexible materials and are wrapped directly onto trees’ trunks. Wraps can be improvised from materials on hand, or there are many commercial products available. Common recommendations for use of wraps are to put them on young smooth-barked trees to protect from sunscald in winter. Wraps are sometimes recommended for wildlife protection as well.

With tree wraps, most experts recommend placement in late November and removal the following April after the last hard freeze. When tree wraps are left on too long, they hold moisture against trees’ trunks that is conducive to disease development. The materials may harbor insect pests during the growing season. Over extended periods of time, wraps constrict trees’ growth and damage trunks. Tree wraps should not be re-used from year to year.

Tree guards are made of rigid materials and fit around trees’ trunks with space between them and the trees. Guards are typically made of wire mesh or plastic (corrugated or other). They can also be made from materials on hand or purchased. Tree guards are intended mostly for protection from wildlife and may be recommended for newly planted trees or locations where deer, rabbits, voles and other wildlife are problematic. Some styles of tree guards may also offer protection from sunscald.

If using tree guards, placement and removal times are more flexible. If using for protection from deer, place the guards as soon as damage is noticed or immediately after planting trees if deer have been problematic in the past. Leave in place as long as needed, but check periodically to ensure guards are not constricting tree growth, holding water, harboring pests, etc.

In addition to deer, trees may be damaged by rabbits, mice, voles and other small wildlife that sometimes chew on the bark of young trees. This damage is most likely to occur in winter when other food sources are limited. Hardware cloth or short pieces of perforated plastic pipe can be used as guards to deter this sort of damage.

Tree guards can be re-used as long as materials are in good condition.

Wraps and guards are unnecessary on mature trees, on trees that are not prone to sunscald and in areas where wildlife are not problematic on young trees.

Sunscald is an environmental condition that occurs on trees when the sun warms the bark enough to activate cells in an otherwise dormant tree. Then, when the sun sets and temperatures drop, cells freeze and expand, which may cause them to rupture. Damage typically occurs on the southwest side of the trunk and can result in a large wound over the course of a single season. Young maples, sycamores, London plane trees and other smooth- or thin-barked species are most susceptible.

Sunscald is avoidable with consideration for tree species selection and placement.

— Jennifer Smith works in regulatory horticulture and has worked as a horticulturist for various government entities. She has experience in landscape design and maintenance and as an educator.