As fall turns to winter, trees and shrubs can start looking a little less lively. Leaves change color and drop, growth slows, and deciduous branches are eventually left bare.
While it may look like everything has come to a standstill, the plant is far from dead—it’s simply entering a period of dormancy.
Understanding this natural cycle can help explain not only how trees and shrubs make it through winter, but also why dormancy is so important for many bare root plants.
What Does It Mean When a Plant Goes Dormant?
Dormancy is a natural survival strategy that helps many plants conserve resources and withstand colder conditions until it’s time to grow again. As days become shorter and temperatures begin to fall, these environmental changes help signal many trees and shrubs to prepare for winter.
Simply put, it’s a period of reduced growth and metabolic activity.
For deciduous plants, this seasonal transition is easy to see—chlorophyll breaks down, leaves change color and eventually fall, and above-ground growth largely comes to a halt. Inside the plant, however, important changes are taking place that help protect living tissues from cold temperatures.
Evergreens and conifers respond to seasonal changes, too. Although many keep their foliage through winter, their growth and activity generally slow as conditions become colder and less favorable.
What Happens Below Ground During Dormancy?
While the visible parts of a plant may have slowed down, roots can remain active after above-ground growth has stopped, particularly while soil temperatures are still favorable. This is one reason fall can be an important period for root development. When conditions allow, roots may continue taking in water and supporting the plant even after deciduous leaves have dropped. As soil temperatures fall further, root activity slows as well.
The plant is essentially conserving resources and waiting out unfavorable growing conditions. When warmer temperatures and longer days return, those stored resources can support renewed growth.
How Can You Tell if a Dormant Plant Is Still Alive?
Dormant deciduous trees and shrubs can look surprisingly lifeless, especially when they’re bare root plants with no leaves and little or no soil around their roots. That’s normal. Dormant and dead aren’t the same thing.
A healthy dormant plant may have firm, flexible stems and living tissue beneath the outer bark. Depending on the species, viable buds may also be visible along its branches. Roots should generally be kept from drying out before planting, since proper handling during dormancy remains important even though the plant isn’t actively growing above ground.
Understanding what dormancy looks like can make receiving and planting bare root stock much less intimidating. Following appropriate bare root handling and planting guidance can help protect the plant until conditions encourage active growth again.
Plan Ahead for the Next Planting Season
Understanding dormancy isn’t just helpful for knowing what’s happening to trees and shrubs during winter. It can also help when planning what to plant and when, particularly if you’re considering bare root plants.
At Cold Stream Farm, our deciduous trees and shrubs are harvested for bare root shipping once they have safely entered dormancy. Because they aren’t actively putting energy into leaves and new growth, dormant plants can be lifted, handled, and prepared for planting with less disruption than during active growth.
If you’re preparing for an upcoming planting season, explore our selection of bare root trees and shrubs to find the right plants for your project.
