I recorded this video of a foaming tree in my backyard earlier this year. I had seen it do this once before. On both occasions it happened when it rained after a prolonged period of very hot days.
In investigating this phenomenon, there seems to be two theories as to what’s going on.
- The foam the tree is producing is a natural “wetting agent” that improves the penetration of water into the soil around the tree.
- The foam has anti-bacterial or anti-fungal properties, and is protecting the tree from infection.
If anyone has any definite information on what’s going on here, I’d love to hear from you.