Knowledgebase
Pine Trees Turning Brown in SW Colorado Springs #654515
Asked June 22, 2020, 2:39 PM EDT
We have a limber pine around 10 years old on our residential lot in SW Colorado Springs. The tree was looking very heathy in May with all sorts of new growth. In the last several weeks a significant number of branches have turned brown, starting from the top and working down. We have notice a few ponderosa pines fairly nearby in the neighborhood that appear to have similar issues. I have attached a few photos of the tree from few weeks back. The brown area is now much larger.
I have been trying to identify the problem. I am not an expert but it seems to sound like Pine Wilt. Is that an issue in Colorado Springs? In my research, pine wilt has not been identified as an issue for trees like Limber Pines and Ponderosas. I am hoping that this is a lesser problem as it sounds like Pine Wilt is fatal. Is there viable treatment? Does this issue look like something else?
El Paso County Colorado
Expert Response
Thank you for your question about what is causing the needles to turn brown on your 10 year old Limber Pine. Your tree may have experienced frost damage and/or winter desiccation. October 2019, our area experienced a severe cold snap during warm fall weather. Many of our eastern Colorado trees were unprepared for this sudden drop in temperatures and had not gone dormant for winter protection. This event may have caused damage to your pine. We also had another freeze down to about 14 degrees April 2020 after our trees were beginning to come out of dormancy, this may have caused further injury.
https://csfs.colostate.edu/2020/04/26/ponderosa-pines-spruce-may-exhibit-winter-burn-damage/
"Winter dessication injury often continues to occur into the growing season, especially if root injury has been severe." Please see the attachement below.
I have included information about, ‘Environmental Disorders of Woody Plants’ please check the Frost Injury and Drought Injury sections.
https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/environmental-disorders-of-woody-plants-2-93...
Your tree is a beautiful Colorado native tree which requires periodic irrigation.
https://coloradoplants.jeffco.us/plant/details/756
I have some information about how to water trees during a drought, spring and summer, and also, fall and winter. Your tree may have needed some additional irrigation over the winter and spring.
https://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/garden/07211.pdf
I have attached 2 pages from our ‘Insects and Diseases of Woody Plants in Colorado’ book. There are some nice pictures of winter damage of evergreens. The quotes come from this book. Please take a look to see if the damage matches what is happening to your tree.
“Pine Wilt/Pinewood Nematode is a fatal disease of Scots and Austrian pines.” Native conifers such as Limber pine are not susceptible to the disease.
