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Netanya Sadoff
Guest
- Thread Author
- #1
The dog days of summer are upon us— and our plants. Although heat stress has always been an occasional problem plaguing northern gardens, only over the last decade or so has it really become one of the top issues facing our gardens as we face year-after-year of record-breaking heat.
You might think your garden plants enjoy the heat and humidity of summer. After all, warm, wet conditions are purposely cultivated in greenhouses to spur the growth of the plants within! However, for many garden plants, overly warm conditions are anything but ideal. The intense summer temperatures can cause our plants to be less productive, become damaged, or even perish in the blazing sun. For container gardeners like myself, this threat is doubled in severity, as our potted friends are especially susceptible to heat-related issues.
As gardeners, we spend a lot of time catching rays— but nowhere near as much time as our plants themselves. Even so, we all know well the importance of using sunscreen, hats, or other means to keep our skin healthy and protected from the sun. Let’s afford our plants some of the same care we give ourselves and help prevent them from getting sunburnt too!
When plants are exposed to too much direct sunlight, it can cause a condition called sunscald. Sunscald is similar to sunburn insofar as it occurs from exposure to intense UV rays over a period of time. However, sunburn in humans causes less acute damage compared to sunscald in plants, which causes plant cells to become damaged or die off completely after only a few days of strain.
Sun scald occurs on the leaves or fruit of plants. It appears as patches of light green or yellow discoloration. If left untreated, areas experiencing sunscald will turn brown, wilt, and/or shrivel up. It can also cause plants to prematurely drop their fruits, which as gardeners can be especially frustrating! Sunscald is most common in fruiting plants in sunny areas. However, other environmental and location factors can increase a plant’s likelihood of getting sunscald.
Similar to sunscald, leaf scorch is a condition that causes cell damage in plants. However, unlike sunscald, the main cause of this condition isn’t sunlight, but hot, dry, and windy weather. Consequently, leaf scorch can occur in shady locations as well as sunny areas.
At these times, our plants struggle to meet their hydration needs, resulting in the dehydration and death of cells on the outer edges of the leaves. This results in brown, crispy edges in affected leaves. These “scorched” areas are dead, but the green parts of the leaf are still fine and healthy.
In my garden, I noticed sunscald on my young, recently potted spider plant and basil. These plants were located on my bright and sunny deck, and began showing discoloration after two or three days of full sun exposure.
After conducting some light research to confirm my suspicions of sunscald, I brought my spider plant back inside and placed my basil in a shadier location. I honestly have no idea what I was thinking by putting a part sun/shade plant in full sun. I think I thought that spider plants were unkillable, and didn’t realize that terms/conditions apply to that!
Whether you notice sun scald or leaf scorch on your plants, either way it is important not to remove the affected leaves. Unless the leaf is entirely dead, it can still contribute to the health of the plant through photosynthesis, helping the plant produce new, healthy leaves in the future. Instead, try limiting direct sun exposure on especially bright days.
If you have containers, try repositioning your pots to a shadier location on especially hot and sunny days. Other than simply moving your plants, another option for preventing sunscald is providing a sun shade for your plants. You can buy these in different sizes and intensities at a nursery or online, or you can hang a light-colored bedsheet over your sensitive plants to keep them safe and protected.
In warm, sunny weather, it is especially crucial to ensure your plants remain well hydrated throughout the day. This helps support your plant’s ability to resist conditions like sunscald and leaf scorch. Check out our summer watering guide for more information.
Finally, avoid fertilizing affected plants for at least two weeks after receiving scorch or scald injury. Your plants need to focus their energy on recovery, not new growth. Fertilize now, and you risk causing fertilizer burn and weakening your plant even further.
Netanya Sadoff is a bold young writer and educator with a passion for all things gardening. A lifelong plant enthusiast, Netanya is delighted to contribute to Northern Gardener as their Marketing Intern since June 2025.
Follow them @net.sadoff on Instagram.
The post Plants get Sunburn Too: Sunscald and Leaf Scorch in the Garden appeared first on Northern Gardener.
You might think your garden plants enjoy the heat and humidity of summer. After all, warm, wet conditions are purposely cultivated in greenhouses to spur the growth of the plants within! However, for many garden plants, overly warm conditions are anything but ideal. The intense summer temperatures can cause our plants to be less productive, become damaged, or even perish in the blazing sun. For container gardeners like myself, this threat is doubled in severity, as our potted friends are especially susceptible to heat-related issues.
As gardeners, we spend a lot of time catching rays— but nowhere near as much time as our plants themselves. Even so, we all know well the importance of using sunscreen, hats, or other means to keep our skin healthy and protected from the sun. Let’s afford our plants some of the same care we give ourselves and help prevent them from getting sunburnt too!
What is Sunscald?
When plants are exposed to too much direct sunlight, it can cause a condition called sunscald. Sunscald is similar to sunburn insofar as it occurs from exposure to intense UV rays over a period of time. However, sunburn in humans causes less acute damage compared to sunscald in plants, which causes plant cells to become damaged or die off completely after only a few days of strain.
Sun scald occurs on the leaves or fruit of plants. It appears as patches of light green or yellow discoloration. If left untreated, areas experiencing sunscald will turn brown, wilt, and/or shrivel up. It can also cause plants to prematurely drop their fruits, which as gardeners can be especially frustrating! Sunscald is most common in fruiting plants in sunny areas. However, other environmental and location factors can increase a plant’s likelihood of getting sunscald.
Risk factors to watch out for:
- Location: Plants in sunny areas or near reflective surfaces, walls, or pavement are especially vulnerable
- Hydration: Dehydrated plants can’t protect themselves as well from sunlight. Ensure your plants are well-hydrated to help protect them from sunscald
- Species: tomatoes, apples, peppers, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, grapes, and squash are common victims of sunscald.
What is Leaf scorch?
Similar to sunscald, leaf scorch is a condition that causes cell damage in plants. However, unlike sunscald, the main cause of this condition isn’t sunlight, but hot, dry, and windy weather. Consequently, leaf scorch can occur in shady locations as well as sunny areas.
At these times, our plants struggle to meet their hydration needs, resulting in the dehydration and death of cells on the outer edges of the leaves. This results in brown, crispy edges in affected leaves. These “scorched” areas are dead, but the green parts of the leaf are still fine and healthy.
My Experience
In my garden, I noticed sunscald on my young, recently potted spider plant and basil. These plants were located on my bright and sunny deck, and began showing discoloration after two or three days of full sun exposure.
After conducting some light research to confirm my suspicions of sunscald, I brought my spider plant back inside and placed my basil in a shadier location. I honestly have no idea what I was thinking by putting a part sun/shade plant in full sun. I think I thought that spider plants were unkillable, and didn’t realize that terms/conditions apply to that!
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Sunscald appears as widespread light green discoloration on this basil leaf. 
sunscald appears as small, light yellow splotches on this basil leaf.
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Leaf scorch on the tips of a young sunflower plant
The removal of large ash trees due to emerald ash borer resulted in serious scorching on these hostas and ferns.
Prevention and treatment
Whether you notice sun scald or leaf scorch on your plants, either way it is important not to remove the affected leaves. Unless the leaf is entirely dead, it can still contribute to the health of the plant through photosynthesis, helping the plant produce new, healthy leaves in the future. Instead, try limiting direct sun exposure on especially bright days.
If you have containers, try repositioning your pots to a shadier location on especially hot and sunny days. Other than simply moving your plants, another option for preventing sunscald is providing a sun shade for your plants. You can buy these in different sizes and intensities at a nursery or online, or you can hang a light-colored bedsheet over your sensitive plants to keep them safe and protected.
In warm, sunny weather, it is especially crucial to ensure your plants remain well hydrated throughout the day. This helps support your plant’s ability to resist conditions like sunscald and leaf scorch. Check out our summer watering guide for more information.
Finally, avoid fertilizing affected plants for at least two weeks after receiving scorch or scald injury. Your plants need to focus their energy on recovery, not new growth. Fertilize now, and you risk causing fertilizer burn and weakening your plant even further.
Resources
- Leaf Scorch and Sunscald in the Garden | SDSU Extension
- Fertilizer Burn – appears similar to leaf scorch, but caused by too much fertilizer.
- Necrosis: What does leaf scorch look like? | Cowbell Plant Co.
- DIY Shade ideas for your yard and garden | The Spruce
Netanya Sadoff is a bold young writer and educator with a passion for all things gardening. A lifelong plant enthusiast, Netanya is delighted to contribute to Northern Gardener as their Marketing Intern since June 2025.
Follow them @net.sadoff on Instagram.
The post Plants get Sunburn Too: Sunscald and Leaf Scorch in the Garden appeared first on Northern Gardener.