Are Painted Tree Markings Universal in the Forest? Not really. “Basically, there aren’t any hard and fast standardizations for the use of marking paint in forestry,” Evans says.

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.

Here’s what to know about the meanings behind the colors. What spray paint marks on trees mean The first thing to know is that the colors, markings, and their meanings aren’t always consistent.

January 9, 2012 / 10:54 PM CST / CBS Minnesota MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It's not a graffiti problem, but some people are tired of seeing paint markings all over their city's streets and sidewalks.