Plants can be damaged from too much exposure to sunlight, if they are suddenly relocated from low light to high light. Indoor or porch plants moved directly outdoors in the spring or summer are especially vulnerable. Sunburn results when light and heat break down chlorophyll.
P1ants develop faded yellowish white, yellow, pale green, or brown leaves on the section of the plant facing the sun. Leaves may become brittle. Growth may be poor.
Move plants suffering from too much sun to a shadier spot. Water well after moving; prune off badly damaged leaves to improve the plant's appearance.
Anything that disrupts the balance between water input and water output (transpiration) can cause leaf scorch. The leaves dehydrate and may die if the water intake is less that the amount the plant releases or transpires. Drying wind, the combination of drought and high temperatures, and too much sun increase water loss. When water balance is disrupted, the greatest loss usually occurs at leaf margins and at leaf tips, by browning. Flowering dogwoods are especially sensitive to leaf scorch.
Browning leaf margins are the primary symptom. .. Entire leaves may wilt. Damage usually occurs first on newer leaves. On trees, the damage is most severe on youngest branches, with many leaves dropping during late summer. Trees do not usually die from leaf scorch.
Leaves damaged by leaf scorch do not recover. Proper watering reduces further damage, as does adding mulch and providing shade.