SALT TOLERANCE OF TREES AND SHRUBS TO DE-ICING SALTS

THE PURPOSE IS TO SUMMARIZE THE FINDINGS OF A STUDY INTENDED TO DETERMINE THE TOLERANCE OF DECIDUOUS TREES AND SHRUBS AND EVERGREEN TREES AND SHRUBS TO THE COMMONLY USED DE-ICING SALTS--SODIUM AND CALCIUM CHLORIDES. A RAPID AND PRACTICAL APPROACH WAS EMPLOYED WHERE SALT TOLERANCE WAS BASED ON PLANT INJURY SYMPTOMS AND SURVIVAL AFTER SALT TREATMENT UNDER FIELD CONDITIONS. THE FIELD EXPERIMENTS USED WERE ESTABLISHED IN SPRING 1966 AT THE PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS OF BLACKSBURG, ORANGE AND WARSAW IN VIRGINIA. THE PLANTING PLOT DESIGN USED ALLOWED FOR 12 DIFFERENT SALT TREATMENTS, WHICH CONSISTED OF SODIUM CHLORIDE UP TO 6 TONS AND CALCIUM CHLORIDE UP TO 3 TONS APPLIED IN SOLID FORM AS SPLIT APPLICATIONS DURING WINTER. THE PLANTS STUDIED GAVE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN RESPONSE TO SALT TREATMENTS, AND SPECIES-SALT TREATMENT INTERACTIONS WERE OBSERVED. PLANTS THAT WERE SENSITIVE TO THE 2 DE-ICING SALTS SHOWED INCREASING DEGREES OF LEAF BURN, LEAF DEFOLIATION, AND LIMB DIE-BACK AS THE AMOUNT OF SALTS APPLIED INCREASED. THE MORE TOLERANT PLANTS SUCH AS HONEY LOCUST, HONEYSUCKLE, PRIVET, AND PFITZER JUNIPER SHOWED NO LEAF BURN, EVEN FOR THE HIGHEST SALT-TREATMENT RATES. THE AVERAGE TOLERANCE VALUES ACROSS ALL SODIUM CHLORIDE AND CALCIUM CHLORIDE TREATMENTS SHOWED SALT TOLERANCE OF THE DECIDUOUS TREES TO INCREASE IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER: TULIP POPLAR LESS THAN GREEN ASH LESS THAN REDBUD = SUGAR MAPLE GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO WHITE BIRCH WHICH IS LESS THAN HONEY LOCUST. FOR THE DECIDUOUS SHRUBS SALT TOLERANCE INCREASED IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER: ROSE = SPIREA LESS THAN WEIGELA EQUAL TO OR LESS THAN FORSYTHIA LESS THAN HONEYSUCKLE EQUAL TO OR LESS THAN PRIVET. SALT TOLERANCE FOR THE EVERGREENS INCREASED IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER: HEMLOCK LESS THAN NORWAY SPRUCE LESS THAN WHITE PINE LESS THAN CREEPING JUNIPER LESS THAN ADAM'S NEEDLE WHICH IS EQUAL TO OR LESS THAN PFITZER JUNIPER.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1970/335/335-005.pdf
• Record URL:
  • http://
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Paper sponsored by Committee on Roadside Development and presented at the 49th Annual Meeting. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Hanes, R E
  • Zelazny, L W
  • Blaser, R E
• Publication Date: 1970

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Tables;
• Pagination: pp 16-18
• Monograph Title: Roadside development and maintenance
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 335
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Calcium chloride; Deicers (Equipment); Engineering tolerance; Field studies; Plants; Sodium chloride; Sodium chloride
• Uncontrolled Terms: Deicers; Treatment
• Old TRIS Terms: Deciduous plants; Evergreens; Tolerances
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00218741
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jun 1 1971 12:00AM