The ends of evergreen tree are falling off. - Ask Extension
Hi!
For a few weeks now the ends of our evergreen tree have been falling off. It is always just the last 2-4 inches. The attached picture is just...
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The ends of evergreen tree are falling off. #870950
Asked May 31, 2024, 1:16 PM EDT
Hi!
For a few weeks now the ends of our evergreen tree have been falling off. It is always just the last 2-4 inches. The attached picture is just 2 days of what has fallen off. I was wondering if you have any idea of what this could be from? Or what we should do about it? The tree is very large (3 stories).
Denver County Colorado
Expert Response
If you are in an area of town that got pummeled with hail on Thursday night, that is most likely the explanation for this much downed spruce tips. Frankly, this looks identical to my own patio from the storm.
Sometimes, wildlife (squirrels!) gnaw off ends of branches to to reach and eat cones and buds of conifers; wind can also tear off branches and we had some gale winds recently in Denver.
Aside from those possibilities, the spruce tips in your photo looks green and healthy so I suggest you sweep up and discard this debris to eliminate storm damage as a possibility for the fallen tips, then as new tips drop, send us multiple photos of those but this time include close-ups of the fallen tips, the branches from which the tips fall and the whole tree. Noting any discoloration or insects you discover would be helpful to a diagnosis.
Sometimes, wildlife (squirrels!) gnaw off ends of branches to to reach and eat cones and buds of conifers; wind can also tear off branches and we had some gale winds recently in Denver.
Aside from those possibilities, the spruce tips in your photo looks green and healthy so I suggest you sweep up and discard this debris to eliminate storm damage as a possibility for the fallen tips, then as new tips drop, send us multiple photos of those but this time include close-ups of the fallen tips, the branches from which the tips fall and the whole tree. Noting any discoloration or insects you discover would be helpful to a diagnosis.
Thank you. We are thinking it is squirrels. This has been happening for a few weeks now, and at a consistent pace (not tied to wind for example). Then my wife saw the culprit gnawing one down just yesterday.
Tyler
