Blue Spruce Cone Sap - Ask Extension
This year the cones are plentiful and dripping excess sap. It looks like icicles. The trees are about 30 years old and I have lived here 12 years and ...
Knowledgebase
Blue Spruce Cone Sap #471592
Asked July 18, 2018, 8:32 PM EDT
This year the cones are plentiful and dripping excess sap. It looks like icicles. The trees are about 30 years old and I have lived here 12 years and this is the first time I have noticed sap like this. Is this something normal or does it only occur certain years? I live in BC and we had a very hot May
Tony
Tony
County Outside United States
Expert Response
Thank you for contacting us. The sap in conifers serves numerous purposes including transferring nutrients and deterring pests. While excess sap is more usual on pine cones, it also occurs with spruce. The weather may be a factor.
As long as the tree shows no signs of disease or pest damage, it should be fine. Make sure your trees get enough water. They need one to two inches per week, including rain. Mulching the drip zone helps conserve soil moisture.
As long as the tree shows no signs of disease or pest damage, it should be fine. Make sure your trees get enough water. They need one to two inches per week, including rain. Mulching the drip zone helps conserve soil moisture.
