Hi, I was wondering if anyone has any helpful thoughts regarding the disconcerting sudden appearance of brown needles on a big old cedar in our Vancouver backyard (see attachment). We just noticed the change a few days ago. The tree measures about 65 cm (26 in) dia at breast height. We moved in just a few years ago, so it concerns us that the tree in question stands about 8 m (25 feet) from a similar tree that turned brown and died last year, despite our best efforts to assure that it had sufficient moisture. :-( Do you think it is most likely to be just a seasonal thing, a water shortage problem, a root rot or ? Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
Possibly cladoptosis, but I'm not an expert on this phenomenon, so others might have a different suggestion.
It's a Lawson's Cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana), not a cedar (Cedrus). Lawson's Cypress is very susceptible to Phytophthora root disease, although the symptoms don't usually look quite like this (usually a more uniform yellowing and die-off of the foliage, rather than the patchy die-off you have), but it is a distinct possibility, particularly with the adjacent one dying last year. Sorry, if it is this, there's no cure. Cladoptosis is the usual leaf-fall of old shoots and leaves after they have outlived their normal lifespan; it doesn't usually look like this, which is rather more extensive and includes dying younger shoots, so I suspect there is a definite problem with the tree.
Hi Daniel and Michael, Thanks for your responses (including the correction re: species!). Based on what you have said, I presume that either the tree will die or it won't, but that nothing I could reasonably do will improve its chances of survival. Please correct me if I am wrong. Cheers, Volker
