Help! What's happening to my decorative evergreens?!

[luv4horses]

The reason the link did not work for the OP is he is a new poster. I think certain techno-privileges are delayed until a number (10?) of posts have been made by a user.

[DougStark]

Originally Posted by Zoisite

Hemlocks have needles, not flat, scaled leaves like cedars. https://www.bing.com/images/search?q...6333A8F00FE74A


The OP's pictures look like they are of one type out of a variety of North American cedars species, it might be a white or a red or some other cedar, but it's not a hemlock or a juniper which are different species of evergreens. Hemlocks and junipers don't have the same kinds of leaves and scale conformation as the North American cedars. There are several varieties of North American cedars and they all have flat scaled leaves.

sr1, you might find this helpful to identify which type of cedar you have:


https://www.thoughtco.com/identify-the-cedars-1341849


https://www.thoughtco.com/cedars-and...af-key-1343473

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Thanks for your input, Zoisite. First, it's helpful to avoid using common names like cedars, etc. To me, there are the following different plants: the "true" cedars (Cedrus); the plant commonly called red cedar (Juniper); and the huge western species used for lumber, common name red cedar (Thuja).

So with these different species (Genus) I've listed, which one is in the picture?

[Zoisite]

Originally Posted by DougStark

Thanks for your input, Zoisite. First, it's helpful to avoid using common names like cedars, etc. To me, there are the following different plants: the "true" cedars (Cedrus); the plant commonly called red cedar (Juniper); and the huge western species used for lumber, common name red cedar (Thuja).

So with these different species (Genus) I've listed, which one is in the picture?

Without seeing the full tree from top to bottom and it's true dimensions I'm going by the picture that has the OP's hand in it to get an estimated idea of the dimensions of the plant and it's leaves. To really be able to properly identify a plant I like to be present so I can see, feel, smell and taste it (and look for other identifying characteristics) but that of course is not possible to do when all you have are spotty pictures on internet.

Be that as it may, to answer your question - Judging by the thin upright leader stems, their stringy bark and red-brown colour and the blunt, rounded fan shaped leaves and their bright solid green colour (no yellow or gold banding) - I'm taking a stab in the dark and saying it looks to me like it might be a dwarfed spire shaped Thuja Occidentalis in the cypress family Cupressaceae, aka northern white-cedar aka eastern arborvitae. It's native to north eastern USA and eastern Canada and is now one of the more common garden and landscaping plants used throughout North America. I'm guessing the OP's trees may be no more than about 10 - 12 feet tall going by the size of the leader stems.

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[sr1]

Originally Posted by Zoisite

Without seeing the full tree from top to bottom and it's true dimensions I'm going by the picture that has the OP's hand in it to get an estimated idea of the dimensions of the plant and it's leaves. To really be able to properly identify a plant I like to be present so I can see, feel, smell and taste it (and look for other identifying characteristics) but that of course is not possible to do when all you have are spotty pictures on internet.

Be that as it may, to answer your question - Judging by the thin upright leader stems, their stringy bark and red-brown colour and the blunt, rounded fan shaped leaves and their bright solid green colour (no yellow or gold banding) - I'm taking a stab in the dark and saying it looks to me like it might be a dwarfed spire shaped Thuja Occidentalis in the cypress family Cupressaceae, aka northern white-cedar aka eastern arborvitae. It's native to north eastern USA and eastern Canada and is now one of the more common garden and landscaping plants used throughout North America. I'm guessing the OP's trees may be no more than about 10 - 12 feet tall going by the size of the leader stems.

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Holy. Guacamole.


Thanks ALL for all the great help, and I am very impressed with the big brain on Zoisite... though they're only about 7' right now.

[kinkytoes]

Originally Posted by Zoisite

Thank you luv4horses, that worked.


sr1, that is a type of ornamental cedar tree and what it's doing is called flagging. It's actually a normal process, browning and shedding of older inner leaves that aren't getting as much light now as the newer outer leaves. Extensive flagging is also an indication that the trees weren't getting as much water as they needed. Cedar roots are very shallow, mostly spreading out a mat of roots within the top 5 inches of surface soil so if the soil at the surface is drying out quickly then that means the roots are drying out too and that's bad for the tree. Most cedars need plenty of water, they aren't drought resistant so the surface soil should be kept evenly cool and moist throughout the hot summer months (but not soaking wet and spongy or else the roots can get a fungal infection).

I'd suggest that you do as luv4horses responded, reach in and remove the dead stuff by hand, or else wash the trees by hand to get rid of the brown flagging leaves. By wash I mean hold a garden hose nozzle into the inner foliage and near the trunk and spray it all over inside there to loosen and wash off the brown foliage so it drops down to the ground. Washing will clean and freshen the healthy interior leaves and branches and allow some more light to get into the interior, and it will wash away any possible cedar mites and other insects that might be hiding in the interior. After you've finished washing the interior, give the whole exterior foliage a good hosing off too.


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