Norway Spruce Tip Loss and Tree Dieback
(Picea abies)

photo by Gerry Hawkes - April 2, 2000

A relatively healthy Norway spruce growing in a row with several unhealthy trees.
Notice how thick the foliage is on the healthy tree compared to the others
It is becoming increasingly difficult to find healthy Norway spruce for this type of comparison.
More and more trees are dying.

photo by Gerry Hawkes - April 2, 2000

A closer view of a branch on the relatively healthy Norway spruce in the previous photo.

photo by Gerry Hawkes - April 2, 2000

A dying branch on one of the unhealthy trees in the first photo.
The growing tips have dropped off these branches and older needles have been lost.

photo by Gerry Hawkes - April 2, 2000

Most of a previous year's growth of tips blanketing the ground.
Depending on the tree, the number of fallen tips may range from just a scattering to a solid blanket on the ground.
Some trees seem to have dropped their tips over several years while others drop them in a much shorter period.
Only a few trees remain healthy.
NOTE: The tree in this photo and all the others in the row that formed the border between a cemetery and a commercial plumbing business were cut in the winter of 2001-2002.

photo by Gerry Hawkes - April 2, 2000

Of the many tips inspected, most have detached precisely at the node
between the prior season's growth and the last season's growth.

Click here for further discussion of tip loss in Norway spruce.

What is Happening to the Norway Spruce? (photos & text)

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Contact Gerry Hawkes: ghawkes@eco-systems.org