What warm February temperatures mean for Calgary's trees and gardens

For those watching closely, unseasonably warm and dry days are having an impact on plants and trees that are usually in hibernation at this time of year.

Snow in Calgary and southern Alberta has largely disappeared over the past week, and in south facing spaces particularly, the ground is beginning to thaw. 

Arborist Keegan Seward has noticed that the buds on some trees have begun to swell and flower early, which could have adverse effects later on. 

"The mild weather isn't necessarily the problem, it's the refreezing," says Seward. 

Water that has begun to move in trees in warmer weather can cause something called "dieback" — similar to frostbite — when temperatures drop once more. Fluctuating conditions can also cause less resilient trees to go into shock. 

Seward says a wet and cold March would be the best case scenario for the city's trees, instead of continued warm and dry days, which may continue to trick them to "reawaken."

But should Alberta residents be "springing" into action?

Ways to be prepared

Joana Tschudy with the Calgary Horticultural Society has received a flood of calls from concerned gardeners in light of warmer days, but points out that it's not necessarily time to panic. 

"This time of year I just really try to calm people down," Tschudy says. "If there's one thing we can count on in southern Alberta it's [weather] anomalies."

Tschudy says the main thing to prioritize right now is water conservation through the use of rain barrels and smart garden design. 

"[Think] about incorporating rain gardens, swales and berms that can catch water and hold it in the root zone where you want it." 

Accept your limitations

Both Tschudy and Seward point out that it is weather like this that should encourage Albertans to use more native plants in their own backyards, and to accept some limitations of our climate.

"This is what trees have to deal with on the grassland," says Seward.

Seward explained that the only place that trees naturally occur in the Calgary zone are in river valleys, making it difficult to successfully grow them elsewhere.

Thinking preventatively — from making sure you have enough water to choosing the right plants — will help your garden adapt to whatever the coming months may bring. 

In her south-facing front yard which gets a lot of sun, Tschudy decided to plant things that "actually like it here," such as sedums and drought tolerant ornamental grasses, instead of more finicky plants, like roses. 

"My approach is really to take all of my cues from nature," says Tschudy. "Right now we're getting a message that things are wonky … instead of jumping right on it, we could just relax and wait.

"Who knows what March brings?"