Michigan State University Extension
Ornamental Plants plus Version 3.0 - 00001808
11/12/99
Water Movement in Trees and Shrubs
Plants evaporate a large amount of water through their
leaves. As the water evaporates, it pulls water into the
leaves through the stems and roots. The lost water is
replaced by the roots' absorbing additional water from the
soil.
Water movement in woody plants occurs in a thin layer of
xylem cells under the bark of stems and trunks. Water
movement can be disrupted by injury to the active xylem
when the bark is removed or damaged by insects or disease.
Such a disruption can occur in the roots, on the trunk or
in the branches.
On a hot summer day, a mature silver maple can lose up to
58 gallons of water per hour. Without this water
movement, trees and shrubs could not move nutrients to the
leaves or carry on other vital physiological processes.
An adequate supply of water is essential to manage plant
health. The plant must also be able to distribute the
water to all living parts. Many of the problems discussed
in this publication are related to disruption in the flow
of water into or within the plant.
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This file was generated from data base ZZ on 01/19/00.
Data base ZZ was last revised on 11/12/99.
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