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Fir > Needles > Interior needles turn brown to gray, tips remain green

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  • Lirula needle blight 1

    Credit: R. Nelson, University of Minnesota

  • Lirula needle blight 2

    Credit: Linda Haugen, USDA Forest Service

  • Lirula needle blight 3

    Credit: Linda Haugen, USDA Forest Service

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green arrowLirula needle blight
Lirula mirabilis and L. nervata

  • 1 yr old needles reddish-brown in June and July
  • Diseased needles turn gray with age and remain attached for several years
  • L. nervata – a raised black line develops along the midrib of infected 3-4 yr old needles
  • L. mirabilis - 2 raised lines, the color of the needle, develop parallel to the midrib of 3-4 yr old needles
  • Lower branches most affected
  • Cool, wet weather favors this disease
  • More information on Lirula needle blight...
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  • Rhizosphaera needle cast 1

    Credit: Bruce A. Watt, University of Maine

  • Rhizosphaera needle cast 2

    Credit: Ronald S. Kelley, Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, Bugwood.org

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green arrowRhizosphaera needle cast
Rhizosphaera pini

  • Drooping, grayish-tan needles in late spring or early summer
  • Needles at the branch tips remain green, while older needles closer to the trunk of the tree become discolored
  • Tiny black dots can be seen with a hand lens on infected needles
  • Discolored needles fall off mid-summer; tree looks thin and bare
  • Damage typically starts on the lower branches and moves up the tree
  • More information on Rhizosphaera needle cast...

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