Dying Pine Trees - Ask Extension
Hi, I have 4 large pines that are dying.. They are getting orange from the inside out. I believe some sort of bore is involved. Are you able to ide...
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Dying Pine Trees #834606
Asked June 08, 2023, 3:45 PM EDT
Hi, I have 4 large pines that are dying.. They are getting orange from the inside out. I believe some sort of bore is involved. Are you able to identify a cause and a treatement?
Baltimore County Maryland
Expert Response
This evergreen is not a pine and appears to be either a Juniper or Leyland Cypress; we can't see enough foliage clearly in the photos to tell which. This is an important distinction because different pests and diseases can affect these species. We do not see enough distinctive symptoms to provide a diagnosis, but borers is one possibility, as is root dieback if the soil is too compacted and wet/poorly-drained or too dry without supplemental water during periods of drought. Some plant infections take advantage of plants stressed by drought while others take advantage of roots stressed by wetness. Borers often target trees under stress preferentially compared to healthy trees, so usually are a secondary problem; once in the wood, they usually cannot be treated.
The holes in the third photo appear to be those made by a native woodpecker that spends its winters in our region (they nest and spend summers further north), the Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker. They create these lines of holes to cause sap to ooze because this is a major food source for them while insects are scarce. A variety of other wildlife benefits from these sap "wells" also, and they usually do not cause long-term harm to trees. Sap might still be oozing out of such holes due to tree stress (we are in a drought right now that is probably stressing many plants) but if a tree is in decline, other causes are probably to blame instead of the woodpecker. A couple more images of typical Sapsucker damage for comparison can be found on our Woodpeckers page.
We suggest you work with a certified arborist to have the trees evaluated in person. Although arborists can't treat or cure every issue, they can help make a diagnosis and can look for sources of tree stress that could be addressed to help it stabilize and not decline further. Some arborists work for tree-care companies but others consult independently if you're concerned about a bias towards costly procedures or unnecessary treatments.
Miri
The holes in the third photo appear to be those made by a native woodpecker that spends its winters in our region (they nest and spend summers further north), the Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker. They create these lines of holes to cause sap to ooze because this is a major food source for them while insects are scarce. A variety of other wildlife benefits from these sap "wells" also, and they usually do not cause long-term harm to trees. Sap might still be oozing out of such holes due to tree stress (we are in a drought right now that is probably stressing many plants) but if a tree is in decline, other causes are probably to blame instead of the woodpecker. A couple more images of typical Sapsucker damage for comparison can be found on our Woodpeckers page.
We suggest you work with a certified arborist to have the trees evaluated in person. Although arborists can't treat or cure every issue, they can help make a diagnosis and can look for sources of tree stress that could be addressed to help it stabilize and not decline further. Some arborists work for tree-care companies but others consult independently if you're concerned about a bias towards costly procedures or unnecessary treatments.
Miri