Water availability drives urban tree growth responses to herbivory and warming

City trees are under siege – from climate change, urbanization, and pesky insects! This study put urban oaks to the test, exposing them to the triple threat of warming, drought, and insect herbivores. The shocking finding? Water stress is the real villain, stunting tree growth on its own and making them even more vulnerable to the other stressors. But there’s a silver lining – by focusing on keeping those city trees hydrated, we can help them weather the storm of global change and continue providing all those invaluable ecosystem services we depend on. Looks like watering is the key to future-proofing our urban forests!