Why is my coast redwood losing its needles?

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!