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Why is my coast redwood losing its needles?

8/25/2022

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If it is late summer or early fall, this is a part of a natural process as an adaptation to our summer drought climate! Every year, coast redwoods undergo a process called cladoptosis, which is the shedding of whole shoots from the tree. The resulting carpet of brown needles can look alarming, but it is usually nothing to worry about. This process is a way for the tree to remove aging needles and prevent the overgrowth of lichen in the canopy. It is also one of the ways that redwoods cope with drought - in drier years the redwood will shed more shoots to reduce the amount of water the tree requires to maintain its canopy.  If your tree is healthy, then the shoots that were lost in the fall will be replaced by new, bright green growth on the tips of existing branches in the spring. 

However, if the overall canopy of your tree looks thin and sparse, or if the majority of needles on the tree are yellowing then your redwood is likely in poor health. If you are still concerned, please give us a call and we would be happy to send someone out to take a look!
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    Merlin
    Arborist
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    Fine tree care, consulting, and land management

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Merlin arborist group

ISA Board Certified master Arborist WE-7670B
ISA Tree Risk Assessor Qualified (TRAQ)
Registered consulting Arborist #687 (ASCA)
Tree and Plant Appraisal Qualification (ASCA)
Prescribed pruning qualification (Florida ISA)

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  • Home
  • Consulting Services
    • Arborist Reports
    • Tree Appraisal
    • Tree Risk Assessment
    • Tree Surveys & Inventories
    • Construction Impact Mitigation
    • Tree Management Plans
    • Digital Urban Forest Mapping 2
  • Tree Work
  • Raptor Renesting
    • Press
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Contact