You're going to be left with gaunt specimens. Looks excessive to me.

real bad year for heat and drought .. on pure sand ....

i think they are all strobus seedlings [i presume since i paid 2.95 for a one gal at wallyworld for them in 2000].. the bigger ones came with the house .... very common coloration around town ... perhaps a bit heavier than a 'normal' year.. what ever that is.. of course.. i dont bother to water these ... thank god my specimen plants dont look like this .. lol ...ken

This is actually the main reason why I find Pinus strobus one of the least attractive of the white pines. Its needles only persist 1.5-2 years, which means each year, about half of the needles turn yellow and drop off.

With e.g. Pinus monticola or P. peuce, the needles last 3-4 years, so only a quarter to a third of the needles drop off each year.

With P. cembra etc., it is even better, the needles last 5-7 years, so only a fifth or less drop each year, and they are fairly well-hidden inside the tree.

Resin

Good points.

Resin; I see what you are saying. But would any of these other white pines grow as quickly or close to the strobus?
I know P. cembra is quite slow for example, not a likely replacement for P. strobus.

Nate

Hi Nate,

P. peuce is slightly slower, but very steady and eventually as large as P. strobus (both have reached 41m in Britain, anyway); P. armandii and P. wallichiana (both also c.3 year retention) are about as fast as P. strobus.

Resin

Thanks for posting these photos - it makes me feel better about a loblolly pine that I planted this spring. It is shedding needles along the trunk and inner part of the tree but the tips are green and growing - looks like new buds are forming. It's grown at least 6 inches in height since planting - about 5 feet tall now. I moved to New Mexico from Alaska last fall and conditions of course are totally different. I planted 5 conifers, 2 maples and 3 oaks this year and thankfully all seem to be doing well. Ken I always enjoy your posts and photographs and have learned much from your posts as well as others.

While the relatively frequent shedding of needles by EWP isn't a plus, it's so temporary I just can't see it as a serious liability. While it briefly looks crappy, the first strong gusty day (usually from the NW around here) seems to blow most of the dead needles right off the tree and its pretty much over. Exceedingly common around here, but I never tire of them.

Thank you ken, makes me feel much better, I thought 50% looked dead on my tree and I just don't remember that many dying off before but ALL the tips are still green on it.
It is also producing more pine cones then I have ever seen it do, and was wondering if that was dragging it down, but I think you are right I am overworrying.
One of the greatest things about the pine is you can stand under it and it just smells so clean and fresh (I actually have a neighbor that comes over just so she can stand underneath it and smell it)
micke

a conifer is a conifer is a conifer .... by any other name is a conifer ...

the pix are of pines... but any conifer does the same thing....

ken

moving this back up the posts .. so those in the higher zones.. who are a bit slower to get into fall .. can check it out ... ken

Thank you so much for this information, Ken. I planted a few new pines this year and noticed the yellowing. Now I know ... Thanks again.
Aunt Peach in Elgin, IL