We’re beginning to see signs that we may be getting a lot of calls on spruces this year similar ones we experienced a couple of years ago. Homeowners and landscapers are calling in with reports of brown ‘growths’ on spruces – particularly white spruce and some on Colorado blue spruce. The growths can be quite noticeable, even from a distance and cause trees to take on a brownish cast; usually most prevalent on the lower 2/3rds or so of the crown. What’s going on?
Note: I also discuss this problem in my article in this week’s MSU Extension Nursery and Landscape CAT Alert – but don’t go there ‘til you’ve chimed in here. Otherwise we call that ‘not in the spirit of the challenge’.
If it were around here, I’d say Spruce Gall, which is actually an adelgid. I would never plant a spruce because of it. Spruce gall doesn’t kill the trees, but it makes them really, really ugly. You can spray for it on a rainless, windless February day. Good luck getting one of those in Seattle.
I’m gonna jump on the really, easy, dumb answer.
Cones.
I remember years ago when we were in Buffalo that someone brought in something similar. They kind of looked like mutant cones, but they weren’t. I can’t remember what our tree person said they were – I want to say a fungus but not sure…
Deirdre, good guess on the adelgids. Wrong. But a good guess. I once saw Christmas wreathes that a woman made from spruce galls. She thought they were little pine cones.
Eastern Spruce gall?
PlantingOaks, you’re on the right track but our judges are in a foul mood (working on a talk on a sunny Friday afternoon!) and need a more specfic answer.
Staminate Cones?
Sorry, I meant pistillate cones. I am a little gender confused tonight.
bagworms?
Cooley spruce gall adelgid
You’ve got to start giving us better pictures to work with. It’s not fair to leave out the details.