The larvae feed on the needles, causing discoloration, entrance and exit holes and premature dropping. Once infected, the lower branches of the tree turn brown, which results in needle loss. If the tree is infected with Phomopsis tip blight, you'll see cankers in the areas exposed by the knife. Black Spruce Range . For information about our privacy practices, please visit our website. Fagus sylvatica ‘Purple Fountain’ Purple Fountain Beech Slow, narrow, columnar growth to 35 ft. Why are we seeing increased decline in blue spruce trees? Plant in full sun. GROWTH SIZE: Intermediate: 6 to 12 inches (15 – 30 cm) per year / 5 to 10 feet (1.5 – 3 m) after 10 years, Sign up for our free quarterly E-newsletter List. Relatively slow-growing (6-12 in. Older trees are more prone to the fungus, though extreme heat, dehydration and freezing can also trigger an onset. Michigan’s climate is generally more humid, especially in the summer, which is ideal for fungal pathogens to thrive. Judy wants to know what she is doing wrong. So I have a blue spruce tree. The spores spread by means of rain drops, animals and pruning tools. GROWTH SHAPE: Mounding, Arching or Weeping Her work has earned her multiple Edward R. Murrow Awards and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association National Max Karant Journalism Award. Judy sure does not want to lose the tree. It was one of two plants selected in 2008 for the ACS Collectors Conifer of the Year Program. Weeping Blue Spruce. On close examination of inner branches near the trunk, white patches of dried resin are visible on the bark. Adult white pine weevils are small -- measuring only a quarter-inch long -- but they can cause substantial damage to blue spruce trees. Colorado blue spruce is a popular landscaping tree and lends a formal effect to any landscape due to the stiff, horizontal branches and blue foliage. Naturally you are perplexed. Adults resemble moths and lay eggs on the needles. Also known as artistic spruce, this tree has branches hanging like a pendulum. It is in the Pinaceae family which includes both evergreen and deciduous conifers like pine trees, spruce trees, and fir trees. A relatively fast-growing plant, 'The Blues' will increase at a rate of about 1 foot (30 cm) at the terminal leader every year. When you first see browning needles on lower branches, and bluish-white resin flowing from them, prune branches back to the next lateral branch at least four inches from the affected area. The bugs feed on bark tissue, needles and twigs. Yeaterday I planted a spruce thats about 1.5-2 foot tall I bought in my yard and we have clay base soil. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. The species plant is native to the Rocky Mountain states in the United States. Caused by the fungus Phomopsis occulta, the disease attacks new shoots, leading the tips to curl, turn pink and then brown before the needles fall to the ground. 'The Blues' has to be staked to desired height, then allowed to ramble, eventually becoming horizontal with all branches cascading downward. 3 (-30 to -40 F / -34.4 to -40 C), HORTICULTURAL STATUS: Established Find the perfect evergreen tree with drooping branches stock photo. The whole branch is killed when it is girdled by the fungus. Texture of blue spruce with drooping branches - download this royalty free Stock Photo in seconds. While easily recognized and highly revered, the blue spruce is not invincible. Squirrels are notorious for biting the ends off of spruce branches. Imagine a weeping Norway spruce but with larger, bright-blue needles and you'll begin to develop an idea of this plant's potential in the landscape. Picea pungens 'The Blues' is a strongly weeping selection of Colorado spruce with drooping branches and branchlets. The infectious fungal disease starts near the base of the tree and spreads upward. COLOR: Blue If they’re are attached individually to branches, have 4 sides, and roll easily between your fingers, it’s a spruce. There is no chemical control for this disease. Also, sterilize shears after using them on infected trees. This tree is classified as Cedrus deodara and is one of the real cedars. No need to register, buy now! The name deodar evolved from th… The dark green foliage merges perfectly with the greenery present in your house. Look for reddish-brown insects with elongated snouts crawling out of holes in the blue spruce’s shoots. Have spruce tree with top branches drooping under heavy weight of pine cone clusters. The dense branch structure of spruces is ideal to prevent wind erosion, screen unsightly views, and dampen noise from roadways. Weeping conifers are typically either staked upright to form a narrow, weeping tree with pendulous side branches or grown as a low mound of draping foliage. One of the cultivars to grow is 'Glauca,' which is a Latin word that indicates a grayish-blue color. Carefully inspect the blue spruce’s lower branches. Lookalikes: Spruce spider mite. Concerned that may break or be permanently distorted. Imagine a weeping Norway spruce but with larger, bright-blue needles and you'll begin to develop an idea of this plant's potential in the landscape. An infestation will cause the tree’s upper branches to wilt, brown and curl into a shape resembling a shepherd’s crook. This is in contrast to pine and fir branches that tend to be smooth. Spruces such as Colorado blue spruce are well suited for these functions because of their overall hardiness and drought and salt tolerance. Eventually, it will kill the tree. No membership needed. I dug the hole (I had a tree there previously but bag worms got it) and I put some rocks in the bottom for drainage, filled the hole up a little more, put a couple more rocks in, put the tree in, filled in the rest of the hole and put a thin layer of mulch over it. They will feed on spruce buds on the fallen branch tips. Their branches can be susceptible to softening throughout the weeks, however, and this may cause the tree to look like it is drooping. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Be careful when trimming branches. It is often used as a specimen or as a screen planted ten to 15 feet apart. Gretchen Voyle. Spruce and fir have their needles attached individually to the branches using different attachments called pegs, suction cups, and stalks, which are never bundled. In landscapes, Colorado blue spruces … RECOMMENDED HARDINESS ZONES: ORIGIN: Sport Our tree guy suggested these, and said these look awesome. Don’t leave behind protruding stubs -- they invite insects to take up residence in your tree and provide easy entry for disease pathogens. Once read a tree with problem will go into survival mode and produce excessive seeds to propogate future growth. Use a magnifying glass to check the blue spruce’s needles. They appear to be healthy and have new growth on the ends but they are sagging while the other side of the tree is just fine. Prune sick trees during dry weather. More… Austrian Pine A stately vigorous tree with long rich green needles. If they are bare, contain brown needles or are covered with sticky white sap, the tree is likely infected with Cytospora canker. Jul 3, 2014 - Explore Kimberly Minton-Caldwell's board "Weeping evergreen trees", followed by 149 people on Pinterest. If the needles are reddish-brown and connected by a web, the tree may be infected by the spruce needleminer. Weeping conifers have naturally pendulous branches. Baby Blue Colorado Spruce Habit is more dense and vigorous than a grafted clone like Hoopsi. Only cold hardy to Zone 6. Horizontal branches and drooping branchlets make for a graceful effect. Prevent spreading the disease by spraying pruning shears with a household disinfectant and allow it to dry … The cankers are often hard to see however they … 'The Blues' has to be staked to desired height, then allowed to ramble, eventually becoming horizontal with all branches cascading downward. We'll also give you tips for keeping a blue spruce tree blue. More… B. To identify spruce trees, first look at the needles. Infected branches display cankers that … It is often used as a specimen or as a screen planted 10 to 15 feet apart. Should she fertilize water more, or what? They don't chew through all the tips successfully and damaged ones fall off when the wind blows. I ve been watering it and it s getting sunlight. A seriously sick blue spruce has purple or brown needles, dead branches and bald spots. Wanke holds a Bachelor's of Arts in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Another very common spruce is the Norway spruce, or Picea abies. Lower branches die. Some also have golden needles, such as Picea abies 'Aurea Magnifica'. Learning how to tell when the tree is sick will help you preserve its visual appeal throughout the year. Suddenly you notice that the blue spruce is turning green. See more ideas about weeping evergreen trees, evergreen trees, evergreen. This database was developed and is maintained by dedicated volunteers. Some mature varieties look like skinny conifers with slightly drooping branches. If needles are browning at the tips of the branches followed by lower branches dying, you may be dealing with a fungal disease known as cytospora canker, which is the most common unnatural cause for needle drop on Colorado blue spruce. ACS Collectors Conifer of the Year Program. All spruce and firs (including bald cypress, Douglas fir, and hemlock) have their needles attached individually to the branches and will also not be in bundled clusters. There are a number of factors contributing to the decline we see in blue spruce trees, including environmental changes, poor site conditions and new pathogens. or 15-30 cm per year), this weeping Spruce can assume different forms and be developed into sculptural shapes. Infected trees should have the affected branches removed, cutting back to … The blue spruce, green spruce, white spruce, Colorado spruce, or Colorado blue spruce, with the Latin (scientific) name Picea pungens, is a species of spruce tree. Symptoms of blue spruce infected with Cytospora canker begin at the bottom branches of the trees. Young leaves blossom during spring time and their light green texture shimmers in the sunlight. The Best Types of Fungicide for Asian Pear Trees, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach: Common Diseases of Blue Spruce, Ohio State University Extension: Rhizosphaera Needlecast on Spruce, Michigan State University Cooperative Extension Service: Phomopsis Canker of Spruce, University of Idaho College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Management of White Pine Weevil in Spruce, United States Department of Agriculture: Forest Health Protection and State Forestry Organizations: Management Guide for Other Needleminers, How to Treat Fire Blight With White Vinegar Spray, How to Kill Borers on Weeping Cherry Trees. Colorado Spruce casts dense shade when branched to the ground, so no grass grows beneath it. You can also look at the shape of the branches, which will be bushy, full, and upturned if it's a spruce. Colorado Blue Spruce lends a formal effect to any landscape due to the stiff, horizontal branches, and blue foliage. Picea pungens 'The Blues' (Colorado Spruce) is a small, evergreen conifer of graceful weeping habit with large, bright blue needles borne on its drooping branches. 03. of 06. We planted a 6 foot blue spruce last fall. Colorado spruce tree plants are evergreen trees and grouped with the conifers. It is native to North America, and is found in growing zones 1 through 7. Michele Wanke is an Emmy award-winning journalist who has been writing and reporting about travel and garden trends since 1996. The lower branches were dying and so she cut them off. Examine the blue spruce for clumps of dead needles. In nature, these trees are very large, with very dark green needles on gracefully weeping branches. Because spruce needles grow from small woody pegs, spruce branches are rough and jaggy. Shave sections of bark with a sharp knife if you notice glistening droplets or resin on the blue spruce’s branches. It is most common on Colorado blue spruce. TRINOMIAL TYPE: Cultivar