Our neighbor has 2 VERY LARGE and tall pine trees that separate our properties down in the back. They've always been quite healthy and nice looking. I was shocked when I looked out the window this morning to find that the tree in front is turning very yellow. I thought these were evergreens, and have never noticed this yellowing in the 13 years we've lived here.

Any clues?


You can see a little better in this shot that the other tree is still green.

From very hot weather, I'd say. Like sun scorch. We get that here in a drought.
(What am I saying..... it's always a drought here).
OR, maybe from too much water? Rain?

Lynne, could you get a close-up of the needles on the 2 trees?

I will try tomorrow, Terry.
My camera doesn't take great close-ups, but I will give it my best try.

the same thing is happening to my pines.. they are yellowing at the base of the branches I'd also be very curious to know what the problem is - I live in zone 6 in northern ohio on the lake and our summer was nothing out of the ordinary this year. I don't know my trees at all, but the ones yellowing have the soft fluffy needles, the other pines are fine.

If the the needles that are yellowing are lower on the branch and if the needles at the ends of the branch are still green, it's normal. Pines shed their 2 year old needles in the fall, but will hold onto the new needles until next year. The needles on some of my pine trees are already falling--zone 6b.

I know that they lose "some" leaves, but this time it's so very yellow and dry looking. The tree behind is turning yellow now too.

Here's a close-up from this afternoon:


It actually looks much greener in the picture, than the tree does on the whole.

It looks a little like the normal yellowing of interior needles this time a year, but still seems a a bit harsh looking.

Are the two tree next to each other in the top photo the same kind of tree?

I do believe they are the same type of tree - they were both already huge when we moved in 13 years ago. The neighbor who lives in that house was not the original owner, and doesn't really know much about gardening/trees. He has done nothing to them/for them since we've been here.

I'd just really hate to lose them, because when they built all the houses on our side of the street, they clear-cut the backyards, and none of the original owners planted any trees so it's all wide open down the backs, but for these 2 trees!!!

It looks like most of the branch tips are still green. If they all start to turn yellow too, then I think you're in trouble. It does look kind of dry though. Drought stress?

Usually, the entire group of the same trees will look nearly the same, but those don't.

I'm fairly certain that's a white pine.

Count the needles bunches - if they are attached in little bundles of 5 (five) then it should be a white pine.

White pines are a bit notorius for biting the dust on occassion.

In the meantime, just wait it out.

Thanks for the info, Terry and M.D.
I will just wait it out - I don't see the neighbor all that much, and they ARE his trees, but I would definitely offer him suggestions if something was terribly wrong with the tree.

I agree that is Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus). Do you get those in Oregon, M.D.? It looks like a Colorado Blue Spruce is growing on the left.

I think your trees should be okay. That looks like natural needle shedding. White Pines change their neddles every two years. Any kind of stress will usually intensify the effect. My own non-scientific way of deciding if the tree is just stressed or dying is checking the buds at the end of the branches. Yours look okay so you should be fine. If the tips are brown or dry then it's probably something else. When this happens around here, and there was a slightly larger than normal drop this year, the wind usually cleans out the needles and the tree doesn't look so bad.

it may be alot of aphids who suck out all the moisture or a lack of food for the plant or tree. what i suggest you do is spray it with aphid killer spray and place food for it because you need to be able to check the soil to see if its ok. pinus is a very interesting tree i like them as bonsai or trees.