Natural-Looking Paint Protects Citrus Trunks from Sunburn

In southern Arizona's citrus belt, you've likely seen trees with stark white trunks—a traditional practice to protect sensitive bark from ultraviolet rays that cause sunburn and cracking. But white trunks can look jarring in the landscape. Now there's a more natural alternative: Go Natural paint, developed by former citrus grower Chuck Robbins of Mesa, Arizona. Formulated to match the natural color of citrus bark, it provides the same UV protection as white latex but lasts longer. It's also suitable for other thin-barked fruit trees like peaches and young landscape trees. Application is easy with a brush, roller, or sprayer, and cleanup is water-based.

Go Natural paint is available in 1-quart, 1-gallon, and 5-gallon containers at many Arizona nurseries and garden centers. Call (480) 396-0116 for local retailers.