HELP - my tree turned ORANGE and died - want to know why - Ask Extension
Hello, I live on the Peak to Peak Highway (CO72) and we were watching a very important tree in our yard slowly turn brown/orange since the beginning o...
Knowledgebase
HELP - my tree turned ORANGE and died - want to know why #805556
Asked August 10, 2022, 8:43 AM EDT
Hello, I live on the Peak to Peak Highway (CO72) and we were watching a very important tree in our yard slowly turn brown/orange since the beginning of Summer '22. We thought we'd give it some time to see if it would rebound but then Xcel and Wright Tree service came by and said it was dead and would have to be cut down (it is now down). But our next door neighbor's tree right next to his front door has now died and turned orange.
Is this drought? I see no sign of the popcorn excretion from Pine Bark Beetle, nor anything else visible to the eye. I don't know if you've driven CO 7 (now open) and 72 lately, but a LOT of trees are browning along the roadway.
I would love to hear what you think is causing this.
Boulder County Colorado
Expert Response
Hi Amy,
Sorry that you have lost a prized tree. From the photos it looks like the one by the drive is a lodgepole pine while the one near the house is a spruce. Unfortunately there are many factors contributing to tree death and the needles brown up when they can no longer conduct more water to combat the causes. Pine beetle, Ips Beetle, drought, soil compaction due to cars on driveways and roads, mag-chloride used for dust suppression and snow melt, and in some cases spruce diseases are weakening trees. Pine Beetles introduce blue stain which eventually kills the weakened tree. A tree can also become girdled from a wire fence line around the tree basically strangling it over time.
https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/insects/ips-beetles-5-558/
https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/insects/mountain-pine-beetle-5-528/
Hopefully it is an isolated tree loss but it is good to remain vigilant inspecting trees for signs of infestation. The beetles fly July into Sept and it is best not to cut down trees as that can attract the beetles while in their flight looking for new homes.
Best wishes,
Boulder County Master Gardeners
Sorry that you have lost a prized tree. From the photos it looks like the one by the drive is a lodgepole pine while the one near the house is a spruce. Unfortunately there are many factors contributing to tree death and the needles brown up when they can no longer conduct more water to combat the causes. Pine beetle, Ips Beetle, drought, soil compaction due to cars on driveways and roads, mag-chloride used for dust suppression and snow melt, and in some cases spruce diseases are weakening trees. Pine Beetles introduce blue stain which eventually kills the weakened tree. A tree can also become girdled from a wire fence line around the tree basically strangling it over time.
https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/insects/ips-beetles-5-558/
https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/insects/mountain-pine-beetle-5-528/
Hopefully it is an isolated tree loss but it is good to remain vigilant inspecting trees for signs of infestation. The beetles fly July into Sept and it is best not to cut down trees as that can attract the beetles while in their flight looking for new homes.
Best wishes,
Boulder County Master Gardeners
