Why Trees in Teton Valley Have a Tough Life

Trees in the Tetons have a tough life. We have long, cold winters, heavy snow, strong winds, short growing seasons, and lately, some really hot and dry summers. All of that can take a toll on trees over time.

Drought stress is something we’ve been seeing more of. Even trees that have been established for years can struggle when we go through long stretches of heat and very little rain. Trees use a surprising amount of water during the growing season, and when they don't get enough, they become stressed and more vulnerable to insects, disease, and other problems.

Diligently watering your trees can make a huge difference. Even beyond what they are getting in a typical drip irrigation system. This is especially important for younger trees. A good, deep watering is much more useful than a quick sprinkle here and there. During hot, dry stretches, it's worth paying special attention to your young trees, even more than your lawn or garden.

And not every part of our valley is naturally forested, where most residential is on old farm land. A lot of the beautiful trees you see around homes and properties were planted by the people who live here. Homeowners spend years, and quite a bit of money, establishing trees and landscaping, then patiently wait for them to grow into the mature trees they envisioned.

We can relate to that personally. We planted five young aspens 2 years ago in our yard, and they're only about five feet tall, doing well and on schedule to be fully mature in maybe 15 years. We're patiently waiting for the day when they actually look like trees instead of little sticks in the yard. It takes time to establish trees here, and so we understand being very invested in the trees.

When we moved into our little house off of Ski Hill Rd in 2021, we had one large spruce tree on the property that was already mature- but unfortunately, it was nearly dead, the whole top half brown with no needles left. The previous owner was not around very often and the tree was never properly taken care of. It ended up being our only large spruce tree, and we had to remove it. Losing a mature tree makes you realize just how much time went into growing it in the first place.

When you've waited 10, 20, or even 30 years for a tree to reach maturity, losing it isn't just a matter of replacing it with a new one. You can't simply go buy back those decades of growth.

That's one reason we think tree care and regular assessments are so important in Teton Valley. Proper watering schedule, pruning, identifying problems early, and keeping an eye on the health and structure of your trees can help protect the investment you've made in your property.

Not every tree needs to be removed when it has a problem. Sometimes the best thing we can do is catch an issue early, reduce stress, and give the tree a better chance to thrive.

Trees take a long time to grow here. And with hotter, drier summers becoming part of the challenge, they're worth taking care of.