check this link:

https://www.yourgardensanctuary.com/trees-for-wet-areas/

I'm surprised. Balsam Fir, in my neck of the woods, grows along with Tamaracks in swampy areas that stay pretty wet all season.

What zone are you in?

Any chance pool water with chlorine has soaked into the area near the trees?

the one semi green one left.. why is it yellow below the middle??? perhaps depth of snow ??? .. where are you ... something is still going on ....

how were they planted ... poor drainage can be dealt with at planting ...

its hard to tell what those 3 plants are according to your facts.. but im not sure.. there is space there.. for 3 trees ... with any great potential ....

any Abies balsamea could easily fill that space ... https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Abies+balsamea&t=ffcm&iax=images&ia=images

what is your base soil.;. have you ever had it tested??? .. does it perk?

ken

Balsam fir does not like heat. The Christmas tree growers grow some here, but prefer Fraser or Canaan firs for mass planting since we can get summers too hot for Balsams. And by midwestern standards, we don't get hot.

I agree with the above...not water, maybe heat or bad roots/planting error. I think I'd go with Picea abies or omorika out in the open in the burbs of Chi-town. Autopsy the roots when you yank those.

tj

Howdy, Smitty!

Taxodium distichum, bald cypress. Tolerant of wide variety of soil conditions/dampness, has the evergreen/conifer look, though it is not evergreen. Has a great winter silhouette. But only room for one or two, not too close to the lawn.

Did redbuds ever develop according to your wishes?

But Taxodium not a screen in winter (deciduous).

Yeah but you're still looking out your windows and with early darkness the lights from neighbors can be inyourface.

Yeah what tsugajunkie said. They are very elegant and tend to stay more narrow.

Bruns (not Pendula Bruns) is a great variety exhibiting a very strong contrast to the two toned needles. Silberblue is my other favorite cultivar.