The Dormant Lawn: Brown, Not Necessarily Dead The most visible sign of drought is a brown lawn. While it may look dead, turf often enters a state of dormancy to protect itself. This is a natural survival mechanism; it is actually much less stressful for grass to remain dormant than to be forced into an active, drought-stressed state by light watering. You may also notice that grass stops growing entirely, which is why experts recommend setting mowers to the highest cutting height to shade the soil and protect what remains from "sunburn".

Trees and Shrubs: Early "Autumn" and Yellowing Your trees may look like fall has arrived months early. Yellowing or browning leaves and early leaf fall, sometimes as early as June or July, are common responses to heat and drought stress. Healthy trees can often regrow these leaves once the rains return, but the loss is a clear sign the tree is trying to use less water.

However, keep a sharp eye on your evergreens and pines. If you see bright brown needles and small, popcorn-like white to reddish pitch tubes on the bark, this could indicate a secondary attack from native pine beetles, which target trees already weakened by drought. For evergreens like rhododendrons and spruce, drought symptoms in the fall are particularly dangerous, as they can lead to needle death once the ground freezes and prevents any further water intake.

If you would like to read more of this article please visit the following link:  https://caldwell.ces.ncsu.edu/news/the-face-of-drought-what-to-expect-from-your-landscape-this-season/