i wouldnt have that big a tree.. that close to my house.. healthy or not ...

Rhizosphaera needlecast and Cytospora canker and the usual suspects ... https://duckduckgo.com/?q=picea+pungens+disease&t=ffcm&ia=web

contact your local county extension office.. and ask them about the current picea pungens plague in your area ...

here is a good WI start .. even her phone number .. if you want to go all old school: https://forestrynews.blogs.govdelivery.com/2018/06/04/rhizosphaera-needle-cast-disease-on-spruce/

ken

Shape of the plant in the first picture makes me think it's a fir. Second pic looks like Colorado blue spruce, but can say for sure that's what the dead plant is.

Yes, the top picture is a fir - I just love the shape of them. We lost one last year too.

Ken - Thanks for the great link!!

Here's my own personal, honest, humble and uneducated opinion: When a tree starts to die like that from the top down, it can sometimes be a sign of moisture stress. Notice that there is a thick stand of pines surrounding the fir (or spruce) tree. Those pines are WAY too close together!

So, if there were a spell of dry weather, that might be your answer. I have noticed that when a conifer dies from the top down, sometimes they will eventually stabilize and might grow a new top. But when they die from the bottom up, they are usually a goner. Why? I really don't know why. That's just what I've observed on my own property, that's all.

So, if you want to try and save the tree, cut off the top, water it well and by all means, THIN OUT THOSE PINES! Even if the tree is a goner, the pines should be thinned out anyways. In a spell of hot, dry weather that could pose a real fire hazard!

FMC,

Topeka, IN