Snow Load on Arborvitae and Yews: Knocking Snow Off Without Breaking Them

After a heavy, wet snowfall, I'd see the same thing on every street: arborvitae bent over like they'd been shot, split open from the top, and yews flattened. Some recover. Some are ruined. A little prep in fall and a gentle hand after a storm save most of them.

Why snow breaks shrubs

• Wet, heavy snow weighs far more than dry, fluffy snow.
• Multi-stemmed arborvitae have several upright leaders. Snow piles into the center and pushes them apart.
• Ice adds weight and makes branches brittle.
• Snow from roofs and plows lands with force.

Before winter: tie them up

For multi-stemmed arborvitae and upright junipers:

1. Use soft material: wide cloth strips, old pantyhose, soft twine or arborist tie tape. Never wire.
2. Start near the bottom of the main stems and spiral loosely up the plant, binding the stems together so they support each other.
3. Keep it loose enough that air moves through the plant.
4. Remove it in spring. Ties left on can cut into stems as they grow.

For prized shrubs near the house, a simple A-frame of boards over them protects against snow sliding off the roof.

During a storm: clear snow gently

• Brush, don't whack. Use a broom and push up from underneath, gently, so snow falls off.
• Start at the bottom branches and work up, so snow from higher branches doesn't overload the lower ones.
• Clear during the storm if it's heavy and wet, before it builds up.

If it's ice: leave it alone

Don't try to knock ice off branches. Frozen branches are brittle and snap easily. Let ice melt on its own. Branches bent by ice often straighten as it melts.

Watch the plow and the shovel

• Don't pile snow from the driveway on shrubs.
• Salt-laden snow from the road can damage shrubs too. See road salt damage.
• Mark shrubs near the drive so plow drivers can see them.

After the storm

• Bent but not broken: many arborvitae stems spring back on their own as the weather warms. Give them time.
• Splayed open: gently pull stems back together and tie them loosely.
• Broken branches: prune them cleanly back to a healthy branch or the trunk in late winter or early spring. Don't leave torn stubs.
• Split leaders: if a main stem is split, sometimes it can be cabled or bolted by an arborist, but often the best fix is to remove it.

Choose plants that handle snow

If you're planting new, consider:

• Single-leader arborvitae varieties, which hold snow better than multi-stem types.
• Placement away from roof drip lines and plow paths.

Tie them in fall, brush them gently in a storm, and leave the ice alone. That's most of the battle.

Photo: 2017-03-14 09 23 34 Emerald Green Arborvitae coated in snow and ice pellets alon by Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Related: Planting Trees in Fall in the Northern US · Emerald Ash Borer: Treat or Remove Your Ash Tree?