Question:Β I found a patch of Aleppo pine that is dying on the west side of La Canada. The road was recently widened (3 years ago) and this whole group fronts close to the road. Could the die-off be due to road widening?
Answer:Β Yes, the trees could be suffering from the road widening. Construction would likely damage the roots on that side of the tree and typically damage such as this shows up above ground a few years later. It would be difficult to protect such large trees in a road-widening because their roots likely extend two to three times the width of the crown. In a different construction situation the property owner could ask for a protective zone to be fenced off around the tree to help more of the root system to survive. Typically when we see trees that have been attacked by pine engraver beetles, the color of the needles ranges from straw to reddish colors.
Peter L. Warren is the urban horticulture agent for the Pima County Cooperative Extension and the University of Arizona. Questions may be emailed to plwarren@cals.arizona.edu
