Hello Bernadette,

Thank you for your question. The slow growing Bristlecone Pine is a tough tree that grows up to the 11000Ft elevation enduring tough winters in the mountains. They are known to be fairly disease resistant and only shed their needles from the trunk on outwards after a long time. I think I read somewhere before that the needles stay on for over a decade.

I have a few questions for you. How long ago was this tree planted? How big is the tree? What is your native soil and was the soil amended when you planted the tree? Is the tree irrigated, if it is which way and how much water/week during which months ?

Is there a way you could send some pictures from the effected area of the tree, as well as a picture from the entire tree and the tree flange where the tree meets the ground?

Thank you !

Heike W.



Hello Bernadette,

Thank you for answering so quickly. It sounds like you water the tree frequently and you also do winter watering.
How often do you think you water a week, 2-3x week during summer ? How often in the winter?  

Have you had trouble with this tree the last couple of years ( you said it greened up during last winter)? 

How tall is your bristlecone, what type of soil do you have at your location, clay or sand? 
Is the tree close to a fence? Do you have any animal or weed whacker damage on the tree? Are there gophers/ voles on your property? Was the tree fertilized? What is the sun exposure?
Is the tree affected on all branches or just on a part of it, lower branches only ?

The answers to my questions might get us a bit closer, but pictures are really important in solving problems, not being on location. Hoping that your family can help you with this.

Thank you so much!

Thank you for your quick response and the pictures and some of the answers, Bernadette. 
The Bristlecone pine is a very drought and poor soil tolerant pine that very rarely gets attacked by disease. 
It doesn’t need fertilizer and can usually survive on very little water once established.

Your Bristlecone pine has a lot of damage all over the tree, not only new growth , but also some older needles. The tree picture shows the branches drooping which is also not a sign.

I can’t identify on the picture if the tree is sitting low in the ground since the branches are close to the ground. I also thought that the soil looked like clay on the picture.

I tried to enlarge the close up to check for insect damage but it  gets fuzzy when I enlarge it. And I really don’t suspect insect damage.

Usually with damage all over we would assume it’s an environmental factor that leads to decline, not a disease.

I’m not sure how often and how much you water, but over or under watering is a possibility. 
I’m not sure if the tree showed browning before or after the deep root fertilizing? If the tree was under watered prior to, then the fertilizer was absorbed in a concentrated fashion and it could have lead to the decline.

I highly suspect that it is one of the following factors:

-Root flange sitting to deep in clay

-Under/over watering

-salt damage due to fertilizer

The amount of damage on your tree is extensive as seen on the picture. I would recommend to hire an arborist to evaluate to see if anything can be done to save this tree.

I love Bristlecone Pine, I hope you find a way to save your tree. 

Thank you

Heike W.