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Fir > Needles > Yellow to reddish-brown needles on part to most of tree

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  • Glyphosate herbicide damage 1

    Credit: David J. Moorhead, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org

  • Glyphosate herbicide damage 2

    Credit: Susan K. Hagle, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

  • Glyphosate herbicide damage 3

    Credit: Petr Kapitola, State Phytosanitary Administration, Bugwood.org

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green arrowGlyphosate herbicide damage
(e.g. Roundup)

  • Needles retain shape but turn pale yellow to reddish-brown
  • If damage is severe, needles drop and branches may die
  • Symptoms occur a few days to several weeks after herbicide application
  • Dead or dying weeds expressing similar symptoms may be present nearby
  • More information on Glyphosate herbicide damage...
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  • Spruce budworm 1

    Credit: Joseph O'Brien, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

  • Spruce budworm 2

    Credit: Joseph O'Brien, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

  • Spruce budworm 3

    Credit: Jerald E. Dewey, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

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green arrowSpruce budworm
Choristoneura fumiferana

  • Branch tips or branches defoliated
  • Needles webbed together in clumps attached to twigs, turning reddish brown by July
  • Light to moderate infestations confined to upper crown
  • Prefers balsam fir; also feeds on spruce, pine and larch
  • Larva has black head, light brown to gray brown with small spots, up to 1 inch long
  • More information on Spruce budworm...
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  • Fir needle rusts 1

    Credit: Andrej Kunca, National Forest Centre - Slovakia, Bugwood.org

  • Fir needle rusts 2

    Credit: Bruce A. Watt, University of Maine

  • Fir needle rusts 3

    Credit: Bruce A. Watt, University of Maine

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green arrowFir needle rusts
Fir-fern (Uredinopsis spp., Milesina spp.), Fir-fireweed (Pucciniastrum epilobii), Fir-blueberry (Pucciniastrum goeppertianum)

  • Current year needles turn yellow and sometimes curl
  • Diseased needles may turn brown and drop prematurely resulting in thin foliage
  • White or yellow tube-shaped spore producing structures form on the underside of infected needles
  • Difficult to distinguish between these diseases in the field; lab analysis often required
  • Rust infection on nearby alternate host, fern, fireweed or blueberry may aid in diagnosis
  • More information on Fir needle rusts...
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  • Lirula needle blight 1

    Credit: Scott Tunnock, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

  • 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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  • Pine spittlebug 1

    Credit: Herbert A. 'Joe' Pase III, Texas Forest Service, Bugwood.org

  • Pine spittlebug 2

    Credit: J. Hahn, University of Minnesota

  • Pine spittlebug 3

    Credit: J. Hahn, University of Minnesota

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green arrowPine spittlebug
Aphrophora parallela

  • White foamy mass on twigs and needles May to early June
  • Look within for small (up to ¼ inch), black and pale yellow nymphs
  • Heavy infestations can flag and discolor shoots
  • More information on Pine spittlebug...
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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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