That painted tree with a white trunk has a secret meaning. Find out why gardeners and farmers do it, and how it helps protect the tree from harm.

Neighborhoods and trails are filled with trees that have been marked in one way or another. This is what it means if you see a tree marked with black paint.

While hiking through the forest, trees painted with purple marks denotes private property, and in certain states, this could mean life or death in a country whose citizens own guns.

Desirae Wilkins, Salida: I see you’ve found the painted tree behind Tenderfoot Mountain in Salida. There are at least two trees that I know of behind Tenderfoot (a.k.a. “S” Mountain).

That painted tree with a white trunk has a secret meaning. Find out why gardeners and farmers do it, and how it helps protect the tree from harm.