Marianne's Response

elovett-question

I have 5 white pines planted along the back of my yard. I have noticed that several of my neighbors’ pines have turned orange and died over time. Mine have looked great till just recently. One of them is turning a bit orange just as my neighbors’ did. Do you know what is causing this?

Posted by on January 17, 2007

Marianne's Response

In short no - I have no idea. Pines are pretty tough trees so perhaps you could tell me about your climate, how old the trees are and when you noticed the decline. The orange color could mean death from lack of water and with most evergreens if they suffer in a drought they stay green for up to six months before turning color and letting you know that you should have watered in the summer. But orange needles can also be sign of an insect or disease. Bring in some needles just starting to turn orange and look at them under a magnifying glass. See if you see any orange spots that look like rust or tiny aphids. I need some more clues to solve this mystery.