Weird!

At a guess, the new shoots got defoliated by an insect in the spring or summer, and the strange growth at the base of the older needles is some sort of injury response.

But whatever has happened, I think it is done for, and will be dead by next year.

Resin

That conifer looks like it should be amongst the cacti.

Dax

looks a lot like what happens in my z5..when the bud elongates.. and then is hit with a hard frost or freeze ....

i dont understand how resin sees that a bug came along and neatly chewed EVERY SINGLE needle down to nothing... i know bugs are very efficient.. but they usually leave something behind ....

i think the impact was before the needles appeared ...

if it was in extension phase.. why didnt new buds set.. as happens when one decides to shorten candles???

pure speculation on my part ....

do you have any idea when it was planted???? might you imagine that the plant behind it in the first pic was its twin at planting????? is salt used on that road in winter .... could there have been a soil/salt problem????

ken

The shoots elongated, the needles were about to develop, but froze instead. The tree is more than likely dying or already dead. Could well be a problem with the roots.

It may have run out of water due to being recently planted with a limited or damaged rootball and no supplemental water in the right-of-way.
The last picture shows that it might yet sprout some new needles. Hopefully next Spring rather than now. Now would seal it's doom. It will probably have to be replaced, even if it does survive.

Hi Ken - "i dont understand how resin sees that a bug came along and neatly chewed EVERY SINGLE needle down to nothing... i know bugs are very efficient.. but they usually leave something behind ...."

Pine sawflies are frequently that efficient, when there's a large brood. So are pine processionary moths in the Mediterranean.

Resin

How come the one in the background is unaffected if there was a large brood??

With the distortion, how about herbicide as a consideration?

"How come the one in the background is unaffected if there was a large brood??"

Ditto frost! That's even less likely to have patchy effects.

"With the distortion, how about herbicide as a consideration?"

Yes, herbicide is a good possibility, though again, why is the one behind unaffected?

Resin

if the city doesnt have the money to mow the median. ... i doubt they are out there spraying chemicals .... but for the possibility of salt ...

but we have also forgot about the dude who balled and burlapped the thing... perhaps so much of the roots were cut off.. that it only had enough energy to bud.. but not needle or survive ...

especially with lack of PROPER AFTERCARE ...

and the potential swarm of bugs ... lol

this is more entertaining.. than most the mystery shows on TV ...

ken

Resin said/asked,
"Yes, herbicide is a good possibility, though again, why is the one behind unaffected? "

Spray drift, or even spray turbulence, won't necessarily hit, or affect, all desirable plants in the treated area. As you likely know, the dose received is an important factor.

Beyond that, I suggested herbicide because I was intrigued by what appears to be excessive growth of some parts of the tree's anatomy. That's common with certain herbicides.

But, then, you folks know much more about conifers than I do, probably also herbicides used in right-of-way areas.

Ken, I don't know when this one, or the one behind it, was planted. It's possible that salt is used in the winter. I'll take another look in the spring to see how things go.

Another thing that strikes me as odd is the stake. In this area, typically new trees are triangulated with three steel posts, and secured with heavy wire and plastic tubes.