Posted by G Bisig on August 7, 2005

Q: What does it mean when the pine trees are dropping their cones when they are still very green. I live in the foot hills of the Sierra's in Amador City, CA. Thank you

A: I can't give you a definite answer, but I think the trees you're referring to are, in all likelihood, under stress. Stressed trees may drop their seeds (cones) or even leaves prematurely. Stresses can be the result of drought, insects, disease, pollution and other natural and human-caused environmental factors. Furthermore, a response to stress may not occur in the year of the problem - it can occur one or even two years after the fact.

Not sure if the trees you're referring to are in your yard or you're noticing this in the wild so not sure if you're referring to a localized phenomenon or a much broader one. If it's in your yard, try to think of any factors that are different in the past few years that may have affected your trees - have you used pesticides or herbicides or done some digging near your trees etc. If we are talking about yard trees, be sure you DON'T fertilize until the trees have gotten beyond their problem!

Forests all across North America are showing signs of stress in one way or another. It's often extremely difficult for scientists to pin down a given reason since they're often complex interactions with no single cause. Hope this helps solve your initial question. Thanks for asking.

John Wiessinger ( August 7, 2005)