Sweetgum, white and red pine, dogwood, birch, maple, plum, fir, and elm are among the many tree species in Ohio that bleed sap. A type of sugary liquid, sap travels through a tree’s vascular system to provide it with water and nutrients. It is produced in the leaves, with the amount of sap a tree contains at one time varying with the time of year. Depending on the reason why your woody perennials are bleeding sap, you may need to call your local tree service.

What Causes a Tree to Release Sap?

Tree Pruning

Pruning often causes trees to bleed a little, especially when they are trimmed in late winter or early spring when sap production increases in response to rising temperatures. This is normal and does not harm the woody perennial, assuming tree pruning is performed correctly. Sap will eventually stop flowing, and the tree will heal itself.

The best time to prune “bleeder” trees, or maple and other woody perennials that produce high quantities of sap, is in the early summer when the leaves are dark green and less susceptible to high fluid loss.

Disease

Fungal and bacterial diseases can cause trees to ooze sap. The cytospora canker or perennial canker, for example, is a fungal infection causing the bark of stone fruit trees, such as plum and cherry, to bleed. Unlike other forms of damage, these cankers do not feature sawdust or bark particles in the sap. Sudden Oak Death is another fungal infection that causes oak, as well as bigleaf maples and firs, to bleed.

Mechanical & Insect Damage

Bleeding due to mechanical or insect damage produces sap mixed with the aforementioned bark and sawdust. Both storms and landscape equipment can result in mechanical damage that makes trees bleed, as can bark-chewing animals and woodpeckers. Certain insects also cause oozing, such as bark beetles that attack pine trees. The evergreens produce the sap to protect themselves against the beetles.

If you suspect the towering perennials on your property are bleeding for the wrong reasons, schedule tree service from Dave & Aaron Stang’s Certified Tree Care in Cincinnati, OH.  These certified arborists offer more than 130 years of combined experience and provide a full suite of tree services, including pruning, fertilization, and stump removal. Call (513) 936-9777 today to make an appointment or visit the website for more tree service information.