March 3, 2026, 9:28 am | Read time: 5 minutes
Occasionally, you see avenues lined with white-painted trees, both in summer and winter. Why the effort? Is it for aesthetic reasons? No–you can’t exactly say it looks appealing. What’s behind it?
The trees along the roadside look like a white fence as you drive past. The trunks have been neatly painted white. But you can also find trees with white-painted trunks in some gardens. myHOMEBOOK asked a tree nursery why this practice can be worthwhile.
Overview
What is the purpose of the white paint?
There are several reasons why trees are painted white. Just as we need sunscreen to protect our skin, trees need protection from the sun and heat. “In summer, strong sunlight can cause sunburn on young trees or species with thin bark,” an expert from Lorberg Tree Nursery reveals to myHOMEBOOK. White paint reflects the sun and, accordingly, the heat.
Furthermore, cracks that have developed in the bark over the years can allow pests to enter. The tree is more susceptible to diseases and fungal infections through these cracks. The white paint can also help prevent this.
Why are the trees painted in winter too?
Even in the cold season, trees are sometimes painted white. In winter, trees primarily need protection from significant temperature fluctuations. At night, temperatures drop sharply, and during the day, the tree heats up again due to sunlight. This temperature fluctuation harms the tree, as the bark can crack.
During frost, water freezes between the cell walls, simultaneously depriving the cells of water. If ice crystals form, the cells die. When it warms up again, the water thaws and floods the cells, causing them to burst and allowing pests to enter.
But it’s not just the day and night temperature differences that need to be considered, the expert says: “In winter, the warming on the sunny side leads to an extremely strong temperature gradient compared to the cold, unexposed north side. This strong temperature gradient causes cracks in the trunk, which severely damage the tree.”
Another advantage of the paint is that hungry animals, such as hares, do not gnaw on the bark at the end of winter, as the paint gives it a bitter taste.
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What are the trees painted with?
The white paint is completely non-toxic. It consists only of lime and plant fortifiers. In stores, these are usually found as tree protection paint. Besides being sun-reflective, lime is antibacterial and can prevent infections in the tree.
Additionally, lime can be beneficial for the soil. Rain gradually washes the paint off the tree, and it seeps into the ground. If the soil is too acidic, the washed-off lime can increase the pH level around the roots, improving growth conditions.
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Why are mainly roadside trees painted?
Trees along the road are already subjected to high stress due to heavy traffic. “The environment of street trees is usually very sealed. Strong heat reflection from stone and pavement surfaces, as well as reflections from glass surfaces, affect the trees. Additionally, street trees mostly lack any underplanting that could shade the trunk. The trunks are–for traffic safety and a clear view–mostly completely exposed to the weather, especially sunlight,” says the tree expert.
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Why aren’t forest trees painted white?
We see many white-painted trees along the roads, but not in the forest. They don’t need this protection, explains the tree nursery: “In the forest, trees shade each other. This is essentially their natural trunk protection against sunlight. Replanting is done with very small seedlings that develop slowly and grow together, shading each other again.”
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Is it sensible to paint garden trees white?
Even in your own garden, it can be sensible to paint the trees, preferably young fruit trees. Young trees are very susceptible to external damage due to their still thin bark.
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How do you proceed?
The paint is applied to the main trunk and the lower main branches. First, the tree must be cleared of loose bark pieces; thick branches can be treated with a brush. The paint adheres better to smooth surfaces, so young trees’ bark doesn’t need pre-treatment as it is still smooth.
A regular brush can be used to apply the white paint. Ideally, it should be a dry day so the paint isn’t washed off by rain immediately. It should also not have rained the day before, so the bark is dry.
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You can make lime paint yourself
If you don’t want to rely on sometimes expensive paints, you can make lime paint yourself. The most well-known is probably the so-called lime milk. You need water, quicklime, and paste. All these ingredients are available at hardware stores. Mix everything in an 8:2:1 ratio to create a homogeneous mass. To ensure adhesion to the bark, the mixture should swell for at least two hours. Note: The homemade paint may not be as bright white as the purchased one, but it is equally effective.