Hello Bev,

Thank you for writing to us about the sap oozing from your Spruce tree. There are some questions I'd like to ask before saying this is a problem and that you should (or shouldn't) be concerned.

But before the questions -- is it possible that you could send photos of the tree? This will help eliminate possibilities that could be cause for concern.

The photos should be of as much area of the tree as possible. It doesn't have to be of the full height -- that would be a tall task! But sections/angles where we can see the sap on the outermost branches and within the needles. Also, to be certain, can you also take photos of sections of the bark on the tree trunk? Photos of anything else you might find could be helpful that you may not have noticed before.

Here are my questions:

Are needles being dropped and turning brown anywhere that you can see, especially starting from the inside (this would be something else you'd want to send in a photo.)

Are you seeing any areas at all where needles are browning at the tips? Any lower branches dying?

Any dead areas (cankers)? The cankers would be at the base of branches. They are often hard to see, but they'll produce a white resin that runs down the tree.

Something called "needle cast" makes the needles look yellow. Before you see this, evidence of the problem will show tiny black dots arranged in rows on infected needles. They are fungal spores that can easily be seen with a magnifying glass. Is there evidence of this that you could capture in a photo?

Something else that could cause needles to turn yellow (if they are turning yellow on your Spruce tree) is spider mites. You can tell if your tree has spider mites by looking for a fine webbing between needles and by holding a white piece of paper under a branch and shaking vigorously. You'll see small black specks moving on the paper if the tree has spider mites.

Thank you for your patience as we work through this together. Any additional information you can provide will ensure we diagnose what's happening with your Spruce tree (perfectly OK or not). We'll look forward to hearing back from you!

Regards,

Patty, CMG