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Why Are My Tree & Shrub Leaves Turning Yellow?
Understanding Iron Chlorosis in Utah & the Mountain West
If your trees or shrubs have yellow leaves with green veins, you’re likely dealing with iron chlorosis—one of the most common plant issues across Utah and the Mountain West.
🌵 Why It Happens Here
Our regional soils are naturally:
Alkaline (high pH above 7)
Rich in lime (calcium carbonate)
Even when iron is present in the soil, these conditions lock it up, making it unavailable to plants. The result? Your plants can’t produce enough chlorophyll—so leaves turn yellow.
🌿 Common Symptoms
Yellowing leaves (especially new growth)
Green veins with yellow tissue between
Slow or stunted growth
In severe cases, branch dieback
🌳 Trees That Struggle with Iron Chlorosis
These are highly susceptible in Utah soils:
Silver maple
Red maple
Amur (Ginnala) maple
River birch
Pin oak
Sweetgum
Dawn redwood
Grapes & berries
👉 These plants often struggle long-term unless soil conditions are heavily modified.
🌳 Trees Moderately Susceptible to Iron Chlorosis
Aspen
Beech
Amur (Ginnala) maple (can vary)
Birch (some species)
Cherry
Horsechestnut
Magnolia
Mountain ash
London planetree
Most maples
Most shrubs
Most conifers
Most fruit trees
👉 These plants may show chlorosis in alkaline soils, but can often perform well with proper care and soil management.
🌳 Trees More Tolerant of Iron Chlorosis
Better choices for long-term success:
Hackberry
Honeylocust
Ginkgo
Hawthorn
Kentucky coffeetree
Ash
Elms
Linden (basswood)
Most oaks
👉 These are much better adapted to alkaline soils in the Mountain West.
🛠️ How to Treat Iron Chlorosis
Quick Fix (Short-Term)
Apply chelated iron (soil drench or foliar spray)
Works fast, but may only last one season
Longer-Term Solutions
Apply iron sulfate + elemental sulfur to lower soil pH
Improves iron availability over time
Best for ongoing management
Advanced Option
Trunk injections (for mature trees)
Effective but more invasive and costly
🌱 Best Practices to Prevent Yellowing
Deep, infrequent watering (encourages strong roots)
Keep trees out of lawn areas (grass competes for nutrients)
Improve soil with organic matter
Avoid overwatering—wet soils worsen iron uptake
Plant regionally adapted species from the start
🌼 When to Replace a Tree
If a young tree continues to struggle year after year—even with treatment—it’s often smarter to:
👉 Replace it with a chlorosis-tolerant species
This saves time, money, and frustration long-term.
🌿 Bloom Gardens Tip
In the Mountain West, plant selection matters more than treatment.
The easiest way to avoid iron chlorosis isn’t fixing it—it’s planting the right tree from the beginning.
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If you’re planning to refresh your beds this season, it’s worth stopping by and seeing the options in person.
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Happy Gardening!
Ramona
Bloom Gardens www.bloomgardens.org
A Backyard That Breaks the Rules—Beautifully
Here in Brio, one backyard quietly breaks all the rules — and in doing so, creates its own kind of paradise. Officially dubbed “Tom and Deb’s National Recreation Area,” this nine-year-old garden proves just how much can be grown, enjoyed, and shared on a standard lot in Southern Utah’s challenging climate.
Rather than defaulting to rock or continuous lawn, Tom and Deb have created a space that thoughtfully balances food production, shade, and play. Every tree and shrub has been intentionally placed after careful research.
April Tips & Checklist
Plant seeds of cool-season vegetables (peas, lettuce, spinach, radishes) as soon as garden soil is workable.
Check out over 55 vegetable and herb fact sheets produced by USU Extension.
Consider planting peas in the garden every 2-3 weeks (until early May) to extend the harvest.
Control young garden weeds by hoeing or hand-pulling.
Protect fruit blossoms and tender garden plants from late critical freezing temperatures.
If storing bulbs, check to make sure they are firm, and remove any that are soft or rotten.
Wait to prune roses until buds begin to swell to avoid late-frost damage to new growth.
Prune spring flowering shrubs (those that bloom before June) after they have bloomed to encourage new flower buds for next season.
Divide crowded, fall-blooming perennials.
Divide cool-season ornamental grasses when new growth begins to emerge.
Apply chelated iron (FeEDDHA) to plants that have had prior problems with iron chlorosis.
Use organic mulches (wood chips or bark) to retain soil moisture around shrubs and trees.
Plant a tree to celebrate National Arbor Day. The USU Tree Browser offers an interactive list of tree species adapted to the Intermountain West.
Apply pre-emergent herbicides in late March to mid-April to control annual weeds in the lawn, such as crabgrass and spurge.
Learn about lawn care and planting new lawns.
In compacted sites, aerate with a hollow core aerator when turfgrass is actively growing, usually from April to June.
Check your sprinkler system for leaks. Clean filters, and fix and align heads.
Pests and Problems:
Download the Utah Home Orchard Pest Management Guide.
Reduce chemical use to help promote beneficial insects in your landscape.
Treat for coryneum blight in stone fruits (cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums) at shuck split, approximately 10 days after flower petals drop.
Treat apples for powdery mildew when leaves are emerging (at 1/2 inch green) until June.
Monitor wet weather during bloom in apples, pears, and hawthorns to determine if treatment for fire blight is needed.
Treat fruit trees for cat-facing insects, like stink bugs, to prevent dimples and pucker marks in fruit.
Use preventative controls for peach twig borer in peaches, nectarines, and apricots to help reduce twig and fruit damage later in the season.
Control spring-flying bark beetles in pine trees and other conifers.
Watch for Cutworm damage in turfgrass and new vegetable starts.
