Sherry outlines climate‑resilient garden trees and practical care for Pacific Northwest gardeners

Sherry, the webinar presenter, told listeners that selecting trees with climate resilience is increasingly important as the Pacific Northwest warms and faces longer droughts and more extreme weather. She opened with three guiding questions—how trees cope with climate change, which species suit local gardens, and what constitutes good tree care—and said registrants would receive resource links after the session.

She summarized research on leaf turgor loss point, citing Ulrik Schulman’s measurements at Kew Gardens showing large differences among species in how long their cells remain turgid under drought. "If you take a look at the graph, the trees in the bottom have the highest leaf turgor loss point and therefore more drought tolerant," she said, and added that the study found a strong correlation between higher wood density and greater drought tolerance because denser xylem resists cavitation during dry periods.

Sherry recommended considering drought tolerance and wood density when choosing street and urban trees and noted that parks and gardens that receive…