Pines are beautiful, bountiful, and magnificent coniferous resinous trees that stay sharp and bright all year round. So when their needles begin to discolor or drop off, or both, many homeowners have questions. Is my pine tree dying? Will the needles grow back? What is causing this? How can I fix this? These are just some of the common questions that arise in the case of a pine tree losing its needles. Don’t immediately think you have to cut a pine tree down if its needles are dropping off; there is a perfectly good explanation to why this is happening. Continue reading to learn the causes behind pine needle loss, and how to find a solution that works for your landscaping.
Pine Tree Needles
Evergreen trees, like pines and conifers, don’t always stay green forever despite their name. They are at risk of losing their needles, discoloration, and even death. Spring and summertime are the popular seasons for pine needles to grow and thrive, lasting anywhere between two and four years, or more. So with this being said, you can naturally understand that the newer pine needles are at the branch tips, while older needles are closer to the back in the crown. Older needles cannot produce food as efficiently as newer ones can, as they lose this ability as they age.
They are also kept more in the shade seeing as how they are in the back of the branch and beneath the crown. Less sunlight is not healthy for pine needles, and diminished food-producing proficiency doesn’t help the tree, so needles can begin to die and drop off. Before doing so, it is normal for them to discolor as well. Needles can discolor to various shades, such as golden-brown, brown, tan, shades of yellow, and even orange.
Loss of pine needles does mean that the needles are old and dying, but it does not mean that there is something wrong with the tree, nor can pine needle loss damage a tree. There are constantly more needles to take the place of fallen ones. If your pine tree is losing its newer pine needles, like the ones at the ends of a branch, then you might need to investigate further. Contact a local Noblesville Tree Service for accurate industry diagnostics and advice.