Winter in Wisconsin often means snow and ice. To allow safe travel for pedestrians and motorists, walkways and roads must be kept as ice-free as possible. While snow and ice removal is best done with shovels, snow blowers, and plows, this may not remove all of the snow, and ice can quickly form, leaving slick, hazardous surfaces. Deicing salts are used extensively to melt this ice and snow.

Sodium chloride (NaCl), or rock salt, is the most commonly used deicer due to its effectiveness, availability, and comparatively low cost. However, it also has significant drawbacks. It’s highly corrosive, causing significant environmental damage and corroding vehicles and concrete. The national cost of damage to vehicles and infrastructure alone is estimated at $3.5 to $7.0 billion annually.

This publication focuses on recognizing and preventing plant damage caused by deicing salts, evaluates the pros and cons of alternatives to rock salt, and provides an extensive list of salt-tolerant plants.

By: Laura Jull, Woody Ornamental Horticulture Extension Specialist, Associate Professor, UW-Madison Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences
Revised:  8/13/2012
Item number:  A3877