Tree paint, also known as wound dressing, is any substance applied to damaged surfaces of a tree intended to improve the health of the tree. It is commonly applied after pruning

Pruning

Pruning is a horticultural practice involving the selective removal of parts of a plant, such as branches, buds, or roots. Reasons to prune plants include deadwood removal, shaping , improving or maintaining health, reducing risk from falling branches, preparing nursery specimens for...

, or at locations where the tree bark

Bark

Bark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside of the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner...

 has been damaged.

Description

Tree paint may help to prevent disease-carrying insects from entering a wounded tree. Studies have shown that wound dressing must be applied immediately after damage or pruning. Even a delay of three days can be too long.

White tree paint is commonly applied to citrus

Citrus

Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...

 trees to keep the affected tissues from overheating, as dark-colored paint can raise the surface temperature of the treated tissues. The classic tree paint is black, because it is based on an asphalt

Asphalt

Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...

emulsion.

Although consumer versions of tree paint may come in spray cans, commercial application may involve paint guns. Tree paint can also applied by brush.

An organic tree paint can be made; it is similar to a brushable mud.