Ever noticed your tree’s leaves wilting in the afternoon or changing color way too early? Maybe it’s shedding green leaves in the middle of summer, or the canopy is looking thinner than usual. These can all be signs that your tree is under drought stress.
When trees don’t get enough water, they start sending out subtle distress signals like smaller leaves, twig dieback, or full leaf drop. The sooner you take action, the better your chances of preventing long-term damage or even tree loss.
Christopher Evans, forestry extension and research specialist at the University of Illinois Extension, notes that drought damage can persist for years. Reflecting on a 2012 drought in southern Illinois, he observed, “While we had some direct tree mortality that year, the bigger impact came with declines in drought-susceptible trees for the following 6-7 years.”
In this article, you’ll discover the most common signs of drought stress in trees, from the early hints to the more severe symptoms.
Once you understand the signs, you can solve the problem with our guide, How to Take Care of Trees During a Drought.
Early signs
The leaves wilt
One of the first signs of drought stress is wilting. Leaves start to droop or curl, particularly in the afternoon heat, looking limp or deflated. This midday wilting happens when leaves lose water faster than the roots can replace it. Fortunately, Evans explains, “Oftentimes these are temporary at first and the leaves will have recovered and look normal again by the morning.”
That overnight recovery is a good sign, but it’s still a warning. Whenever I notice this happening, I check the soil moisture about six inches down with a moisture meter. Or, I simply dig down six inches with a garden trowel. If the soil is dry, I know it’s time to water.
Read more: The 10 Best Drought-Tolerant Trees For Your Landscape
Leaves become pale or yellow
Another early sign of drought stress is a change in leaf color. Healthy green leaves may start to look dull, pale, or yellowish. This happens because limited water slows down photosynthesis, causing chlorophyll, the pigment that makes leaves green, to break down.
You may also spot browning at the tips, known as leaf scorch. In some cases, “Trees that begin to show fall colors earlier than expected may be shouting out a proverbial cry for help,” says John Bonkowski, plant disease diagnostician at Purdue University Extension.
Read more: Best Ways to Water During a Drought
The tree sheds leaves early
If your tree starts shedding green leaves in the middle of summer, well before fall arrives, it could be a sign of drought stress. When water is scarce, a tree may start dropping its leaves to reduce the amount of foliage it has to support. At this point, you will spot green or yellowing leaves scattered on the ground in midsummer as if it were autumn.
Evans said early leaf drop is a natural response to water stress. Trees are tough and can handle moderate drought as long as they are well established and healthy. But, he cautions, younger or recently planted trees are more at risk because of shallow root systems and transplant stress.
“Catching drought signs early allows the homeowner to take steps to address the drought before more permanent impacts occur,” he said.
Read more: 20 of the Best Flowering Trees for Your Landscape
Leaves grow in undersized
One subtle sign of drought stress is when leaves come in smaller than usual. I’ve seen this in my own trees – tiny, delicate leaves just don’t fill out like they should. It’s the trees’ way of cutting back since there’s not enough water to support full-sized foliage.
As a result, the canopy can start to look thin or patchy. Jennifer Franklin and David Mercker at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture say this happens because the tree doesn’t have the moisture it needs to grow a full, healthy crown.
Read more: Best Trees for Allergy Sufferers
Intermediate signs
Twigs die back
As drought stress worsens, you might notice twigs and small branches starting to die back. The tips of branches begin to dry out, turn brown, and stop growing. Since the tree can’t support all its limbs during a drought, it lets go of the outermost parts first.
In deciduous trees, this often shows up as a cluster of dead leaves that cling to the tips or bare twigs with no new buds. On pines and evergreens, the ends of the branches may turn rust-colored as needles die. When I see this happening on my trees, I gently snap a twig. If it breaks cleanly and there’s no green inside, it’s dead. I prune back to the next live bud and give the tree a deep watering.
Read more: 12 Signs You May Need to Remove a Tree
Tree growth is stunted
Trees under extended drought stress will begin to grow more slowly. You may notice that new shoots are shorter than usual, and leaves stay smaller. It’s a sign the tree is conserving energy and putting growth on hold to survive with limited water.
In some species, you might also see an increase in seed or cone production. This happens when the tree shifts its energy toward reproduction rather than putting effort into new growth.
Read more: How to Care for a Palm Tree
Leaves turn colors early in fall
If your tree starts turning red, yellow, or orange in the middle of summer, it’s likely not just getting a head start on autumn, it’s showing signs of drought stress. While fall colors are usually a welcome sight, seeing them in July or August is often your tree’s way of signaling distress.
Many trees respond to prolonged dryness by starting the fall process early; their leaves change color and drop weeks or even months ahead of schedule. This out-of-season fall color is the tree shutting down its leaf operations early to conserve resources. Along with this out-of-season color, I often notice early leaf drop, too.
Read more: 9 Cool Facts About Palm Trees
Trees become vulnerable to pests
Drought doesn’t just weaken a tree’s growth; it also weakens its defenses. I’ve learned that when a tree is under water stress, it becomes far more vulnerable to insect pests and diseases. Experts at Colorado State University Extension warn that drought-stressed trees are especially susceptible to bark beetle attacks.
When a tree is healthy and well-watered, it can fend off these pests by producing sticky resin or sap that flushes the beetles out. But during a drought, resin production drops, and the beetles have a much easier time boring in and reproducing. Evans explains that drought stress starts a downward spiral, making the tree more vulnerable to diseases and pest infestation.
Whenever I see signs of insect damage during a dry spell, I know it’s time to check the tree’s water situation first, not just reach for a pesticide.
Read more: How to Protect Your Trees and Shrubs from Japanese Beetles
Severe signs
Major limbs die
When drought stress becomes severe, the damage can go far beyond twig dieback. I’ve seen cases where entire limbs turn brown and lifeless. Major branches that once held full, healthy leaves are now bare or brittle. At this point, the tree is in crisis mode.
If large limbs have died, it means the tree couldn’t support them any longer. Unfortunately, even if the rains return, those branches won’t come back. Dead wood doesn’t green up again. Once multiple major limbs are lost, the tree’s health and its structural stability are both at serious risk.
Read more: When to Trim Bushes and Trees
The crown thins
When a tree has been under drought stress for a long time, its once-full crown can look thin and sparse. Crown thinning means there are significantly fewer leaves than normal, giving the canopy a semi-transparent look when you gaze up at it. When I notice that I see much more sky through a tree’s canopy than in past years, or the leaf cover is patchy, the tree could be suffering from a thinned crown due to drought.
A thinned crown is the result of earlier stress piling up, leaves that never grew, others that dropped early, and twigs died back all add up. The tree doesn’t have the energy or resources to maintain a full canopy.
Read more: How Much Does Tree Trimming Cost in 2025?
The bark cracks
In extreme drought conditions, the bark of the tree can split or crack. This happens when the tissues underneath become so dry that they die or shrink, causing the bark to loosen or fissure. Dry bark also becomes brittle and less flexible, so when temperatures shift quickly, or a sudden rain follows a long dry spell, it can crack.
These splits aren’t just signs of past stress; they also leave the tree more vulnerable to pests and diseases.
Read more: What to Do With Tree Roots Growing Above Ground
The tree becomes bare
In the most severe o/f drought scenarios, some deciduous trees may drop all of their leaves well before the season’s end, essentially appearing to shut down for the year. I’ve seen trees go completely bare in the middle of summer; it can be startling, but it’s actually a desperate survival move.
By shedding every leaf, the tree is trying to conserve what little water it has left. It’s a way of forcing itself into an early dormancy, shutting down to survive until conditions improve.
What to do when drought hits your yard
If your trees are showing signs of drought stress, wilting leaves, early leaf drop, or even full defoliation, it’s important to act quickly. And while caring for your trees is one part of the equation, dealing with the mess they leave behind is another.
Whether you need help clearing fallen leaves, cleaning out clogged gutters, or giving your garden some attention, Lawn Love can connect you with a local professional to help.
Sources:
- Christopher Evans. Forestry Extension and Research Specialist. University of Illinois Extension. Personal Interview.
- “Drought and Landscape Trees: Effects, Signs, and Watering Guidelines.” By Beau Brodbeck and Jack Rowe. Alabama A&M University Extension.
- “Early Fall Color – A Symptom of Stress, Purdue Landscape Report.” By John Bonkowski, Plant Disease Diagnostician. Departments of Botany & Plant Pathology. Purdue University Extension.
- “Tree Growth Characteristics.” By Jennifer Franklin, Associate Professor, and David Mercker, Extension Specialist. University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture.
- “Bark Beetles. Are your trees at risk?” Colorado State University Extension.
Main Image Credit: Krakenimages.com | Adobe Stock
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