Let's blame El Niño or La Niña for something else. During times of drought, trees and landscape plants often show the effects of the hot, dry weather. The drought of 1999 and 2000 has had an impact READ MORE http://txforestservice.tamu.edu/main/popup.aspx...
Hot dry summers and winter winds can often cause damage to trees and shrubs. Drought reduces the amount of water available in the soil that trees can take up. Injury to the tree occurs when more water READ MORE http://www.patrees.org/dealing-with-drought
This area is naturally a semi-arid, shortgrass prairie that would have few trees without irrigation. Growing trees here is difficult in wet years let alone in drought years. Drought makes growing heal READ MORE http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/4dmg/Trees/caring.htm