The heavy, wet snowfalls of early and late winter test the design of every northern tree. Some species are much better at this than others.

The price of being an evergreen is that the leaves (needles) are still aboard when these heavy snowfalls come along. Unlike birch, maples, aspen or oak, pines and spruces catch plenty of snow. Until a wind or a thaw comes along to relieve them, the trees may have to bear this extra burden for an extended period.

Spruce trees respond by letting their branches droop. This is an excellent strategy because, as the burden increases, so does the chance it will slide off. (Compare the crown limbs of the white pineóreaching upward, and either being strong enough to take the weight, or snapping off.) Since the spruce commonly has low branches, the result is frequently a sagging all the way to the ground, or at least to the snow line above the ground. When this happens, additional snow and wind are blocked out, away from the trunk of the tree. More and more snow piles and drifts around the obstacle, and a haven is created within, for birds and small animals. Here they can rest in shelter against the bitter cold that often follows a heavy snowfall.

If you look carefully, you may see tracks leading into such a sanctuary, without any corresponding tracks leading out.

Because of the scale of our bodies, we humans seldom think about the value of these small sanctuaries to other lives. Retreating to our insulated structures, we marvel at the ability of our animal neighbors to survive the coldest days of the winter.

Whether we realize it or not, the planting of a spruce tree may be one of the most important contributions we can make to the survival and well-being of our fellow creatures.

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Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
Fax 651-464-4605