Summer in Southern Utah is beautiful—but it can also be incredibly hard on your landscape. When temperatures climb above 100°F for days or even weeks at a time, trees, shrubs, flowers, and newly planted landscapes experience intense stress.

Whether you live in St. George, Washington City, Hurricane, Ivins, Silver Reef, or anywhere in Washington County,

Planting a new tree is one of the best investments you can make for your property. A healthy tree provides shade, beauty, increased property value, and long-term environmental benefits.

Unfortunately, many newly planted trees in Southern Utah never reach their full potential because of one often-overlooked problem: sun scald. At Master Arbor, we frequently see young trees in St. George, Washington City, Hurricane, Ivins, and throughout Washington County suffering from trunk damage caused by intense sunlight and extreme temperature swings. The good news is that sun scald is almost always preventable with the right care. In this guide, we'll explain what sun scald is, why it happens, how to recognize it, and the best ways to protect your young trees.

In Southern Utah, proper watering is one of the most important factors in keeping trees healthy.

Unfortunately, many homeowners in St. George, Hurricane, Washington City, Ivins, and Silver Reef are watering incorrectly — even when they think they’re doing everything right.

At Master Arbor, we regularly see tree stress caused by: