colorado blue spruce question - Ask Extension
hi. 2 years ago we planted a colorado blue spruce that we've named bruce. we live 200 yards from the knik river and our ground is saturated for a coup...
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colorado blue spruce question #929668
Asked April 26, 2026, 1:07 PM EDT
hi. 2 years ago we planted a colorado blue spruce that we've named bruce. we live 200 yards from the knik river and our ground is saturated for a couple weeks after the spring thaw or fall rains. bruce did great his first year thru this recent winter, then last week his needles began to change to the brown shown in the picture. it seems to start at the trunk and move outwards as the tips of the branches are still the normal blue spruce color. the color change coincided with the return of above-freezing temps and the melting of snow. do you have suggestions on what this is and how to treat it? after closer inspection yesterday i did not notice any bugs or such on branches or needles. i'll get an even closer look this week when i take the xmas lights off.
thank you.
brian
Matanuska-Susitna County Alaska
Expert Response
Hi Brian,
Sorry to hear that Bruce is not thriving at the moment.
There are a few things that could be going on. The pattern of needle death inside the crown but blue tips can be indicative of a needle cast disease. Young blue spruce seem to be especially prone to this. The primary management technique for needle cast is to avoid any overhead watering (e.g. avoid watering with a lawn sprinkler, instead just water from below using drip tape or a hose), as rainsplash can help spread the spores. Unfortunately, here in AK we often get really rainy falls so in some cases it can be impossible to avoid wetting the needles. The younger blue spruce seem to be more susceptible to this in AK, so it's possible that it may improve over the coming years if you can make it through this rough period.
Those red/brown needles will likely be dropped from the tree. It likely will not look very appealing this summer, but you could take a wait-and-see approach to see if Bruce will recover. If the tree continues to put out new growth from the buds it can fill back out over the next few years, but in some cases the tree may be too stressed to put out new growth and may dwindle over time.
I will also add though that the repeated bouts of saturated ground will likely continue to be a source of stress for Bruce. Blue spruce don't do well with "wet feet", they tend to do best in soils that hold some moisture but are well-draining. Staying too wet for too long can contribute to root decay. With this area experiencing repeated water saturation, it may help to replace Bruce with a tree that is better adapted for that scenario. The Alaska Community Forestry Program may be of further help on this topic, they can advise on the suitability of the habitat and if needed recommend some tree species that may be better suited to your conditions.
Sorry to hear that Bruce is not thriving at the moment.
There are a few things that could be going on. The pattern of needle death inside the crown but blue tips can be indicative of a needle cast disease. Young blue spruce seem to be especially prone to this. The primary management technique for needle cast is to avoid any overhead watering (e.g. avoid watering with a lawn sprinkler, instead just water from below using drip tape or a hose), as rainsplash can help spread the spores. Unfortunately, here in AK we often get really rainy falls so in some cases it can be impossible to avoid wetting the needles. The younger blue spruce seem to be more susceptible to this in AK, so it's possible that it may improve over the coming years if you can make it through this rough period.
Those red/brown needles will likely be dropped from the tree. It likely will not look very appealing this summer, but you could take a wait-and-see approach to see if Bruce will recover. If the tree continues to put out new growth from the buds it can fill back out over the next few years, but in some cases the tree may be too stressed to put out new growth and may dwindle over time.
I will also add though that the repeated bouts of saturated ground will likely continue to be a source of stress for Bruce. Blue spruce don't do well with "wet feet", they tend to do best in soils that hold some moisture but are well-draining. Staying too wet for too long can contribute to root decay. With this area experiencing repeated water saturation, it may help to replace Bruce with a tree that is better adapted for that scenario. The Alaska Community Forestry Program may be of further help on this topic, they can advise on the suitability of the habitat and if needed recommend some tree species that may be better suited to your conditions.
thank you for the thorough response.
