sunscald

[ suhn-skawld ]

noun

1. injury to the leaves, bark, or underlying tissues of woody plants due to the combined effects of heat, humidity, and intense sunshine.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sunscald¹

First recorded in 1850–55; sun + scald ¹

Example Sentences

The other damage that your garden crops can suffer during a heat wave is sunscald.

From Salon

Sunscald is what it sounds like: too much light on developing fruit, which causes pale-colored patches.

From Seattle Times

A coat of white latex paint protects the bark from sunscald, reflecting sunlight so the bark does not heat up during the day.

From Washington Times

And then there’s cold weather to dry out or sunscald the trees.

From Washington Times

Sunscald, caused by fluctuations in bark temperature, is most likely to occur on the southwest-facing bark because that’s where it’s last heated by day before the sun — and temperatures — plummet.

From Washington Times