Hi, Carolyn,

Thanks for your inquiry.  We brought in our Plant Pathologist, Dr. Ann Hazelrigg, for insight on your white pine issue.

"I suspect some type of canker disease. The gummosis / sap is a wound response of the tree, it is trying to limit the damage. White pines are susceptible to several different canker diseases. The most common is white pine blister rust. https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/white-pine-blister-rust
This fungus requires the white pine in addition to Ribes (currant, gooseberry) to complete its lifecycle.

Another maybe better possibility is a relatively new canker disease called caliciopsis canker. https://www.nh.gov/nhdfl/community/forest-health/caliciopsis-pine-canker.htm

For the white pine blister rust, control would be to eliminate the
alternate host which is hard to do in a forest situation. There is no cure for the caliciopsis canker but removing the affected limb may help eliminate the inoculum (spores) of the fungus and may limit spread. Once either of these diseases is on the main trunk, it would eventually kill the tree.

I am unable to tell which canker it would be from the pictures, I would need to examine tissue under the microscope, but my recommendations would remain the same."   --A.H.

If this is a localized occurrence on just young trees, perhaps also consider if there was physical damage to them, particularly over the winter with an ice event.  Ann's advise still stands that you should remove the affected branches.  Be sure to sanitize your pruners in between cuts with an alcohol spray so as to not spread potential pathogens from tree to tree.

You might also familiarize yourself with these additional resources related to pine family pests and diseases:

pine pests - https://extension.psu.edu/pine-diseases

pine pests - https://extension.entm.purdue.edu/publications/E-256/E-256.html

pitch canker - http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74107.html

Cheers!

Genica

Hi, Carolyn,

Thanks for your inquiry. We brought in our Plant Pathologist, Dr. Ann Hazelrigg, for insight on your white pine issue.

"I suspect some type of canker disease. The gummosis / sap is a wound response of the tree, it is trying to limit the damage. White pines are susceptible to several different canker diseases. The most common is white pine blister rust. https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/white-pine-blister-rust
This fungus requires the white pine in addition to Ribes (currant, gooseberry) to complete its lifecycle.

Another maybe better possibility is a relatively new canker disease called caliciopsis canker. https://www.nh.gov/nhdfl/community/forest-health/caliciopsis-pine-canker.htm

For the white pine blister rust, control would be to eliminate the
alternate host which is hard to do in a forest situation. There is no cure for the caliciopsis canker but removing the affected limb may help eliminate the inoculum (spores) of the fungus and may limit spread. Once either of these diseases is on the main trunk, it would eventually kill the tree.

I am unable to tell which canker it would be from the pictures, I would need to examine tissue under the microscope, but my recommendations would remain the same." --A.H.

If this is a localized occurrence on just young trees, perhaps also consider if there was physical damage to them, particularly over the winter with an ice event. Ann's advise still stands that you should remove the affected branches. Be sure to sanitize your pruners in between cuts with an alcohol spray so as to not spread potential pathogens from tree to tree.

You might also familiarize yourself with these additional resources related to pine family pests and diseases:

pine pests - https://extension.psu.edu/pine-diseases

pine pests - https://extension.entm.purdue.edu/publications/E-256/E-256.html

pitch canker - http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74107.html

Cheers!

Genica