I want your front yard. It's bigger than my whole lot - maybe even my whole block.

White spruce, Picea glauca.

Agree w/kentrees, but I think they're older than 20-30 yrs. 40 yrs more likely for those sizes.

Nice white spruces for z6a. Also be nice to know where you are for people who might want to try white spruces (mostly a Canadian tree) at their warm limits.....

As a kid growing up in S CT, the local cut your own Xmas tree growers used white spruce extensively. They made a nice tree without much manicuring. But like any spruce they dropped needles rapidly in hot houses if not kept hydrated. After 10 years or so growth slowed way down and trees became thin, much like the OP.

Amazingly, I've seen a few here in mid TN, but they're definitely not happy. Dwarf Alberta is very common and does well, if they can be kept free of red spider.

to clarify ken ...

Dwarf Alberta is a very common NAMED DWARF CULTIVAR and does well, if they can be kept free of red spider. ACTUALLY THE NAME IS P g. Conica

the pix are the species.. not the cultivar ... ken

a bit more ... these are future telephone poles ... see link

seeing a bit of your other landscape..... they will soon be a problem.. in my world.. warped as it is .. you should start thinking about removal.. while they are still of a size.. that a professional... can get them out of there.. without destroying the rest of your scape ...

you have a few years to think about that ... but do think about it ...

in the 6th pic.. any idea what that monster stump was .. before it was removed????

ken

https://www.google.com/search?q=picea+glauca+forest&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwidipGqjJ7PAhUHbSYKHYwzDvIQ_AUICCgB&biw=958&bih=745&dpr=0.9

Awwwww, c'mon Ken, those trees look fine, that's just they way they grow in gimberly's climate. They look good to me LOL.

The house was built in '76, so 40 years is really an excellent guess. When we moved here in 2008 (south Dayton, OH), included was an original map of the landscaping plans which was really cool to see. Many of the trees in the yard are accurate, but these were identified as Black Hill Spruce but I never believed it.

Not only does the bigger one lose 2 branches every year, but it's always the thickest most attractive (heaviest) branches which is a shame.

Thanks for the help everyone, someday I'll post pictures of some of the plants I've put in over the past 8 years, mostly Chamaecyparis obtusa and Thuja occidentalis varieties. Here's a better photo of both white spruces with morning sun...

Awwwww, c'mon Ken, those trees look fine,

==>>. didnt say they did not ...

what i brought up.. is the difference between removing a 30 foot tree .. and a 60 foot tree ...

one job might have no impact on the landscape and cost say.. 500 bucks ...

the other might involve cranes and thousands of dollars ..

regardless .... there is no reason not to think about.. and plan for the next decade .. the future ...

i used to remove trees.. in the last season i could do it myself.. with my chainsaw ... and that usually involved when i could still make it fall down ... and not crush a bunch of other stuff ...

its a variable and an option that should be discussed.. or thought of ... not just ignored ...

ken

Ken- That stump was a huge red oak we had removed in August. It was slowly dying, looking worse every year. Part of it was hanging over my neighbors roof and it cast a lot of shade in my yard AND it always dropped most of it's leaves after Thanksgiving when every other tree in the area was done.

I plan on taking the bigger white spruce out in a year or two. I've left an open spot so it will come down easy without damaging anything. AL

Ken. I agree and that's a good point about not waiting for something to get too big to do yourself. I've taken down three other trees myself that were all pretty large but still manageable without hiring a pro. AL

gimberly, guessing a bit, but it may be that white spruce is such a northerly tree that, tho well-adapted to snow, it isn't adapted to WET snow (or ice) that occurs in more southerly locations. And perhaps it's like Norway spruce in that branch structure is quite variable between individuals, and a downward-branching one just happens to be a better structure for your particular site.