If you’ve ever walked down a quiet street in winter or wandered through a snowy orchard, you may have noticed a curious sight: the trunks of some trees painted white, gleaming like chalk against the muted colors of the season. At first glance, it might seem purely decorative or even artistic—perhaps someone had taken a fancy to their trees. But the truth is far more practical, scientific, and surprisingly clever. There’s a whole world of horticultural reasoning behind this simple act, and it has more to do with survival than aesthetics.
