What Would Cause An Evergreen To Turn Brown In The…
Merry Lou Asked
What would cause an evergreen to turn brown in the middle while the top and bottom remain green?
The Gardener’s Answer
Hello, Merry Lou in Illinois: Not knowing what evergreen you are referring to, I cannot give you specifics in terms of insect and disease issues that your plant may be dealing with. It certainly sounds like your evergreen is under some sort of stress and a sample should be looked at by a professional to prevent further spread. Your County Cooperative Extension Office is always a reliable source to have your plant problems diagnosed. The horticulture agent will be able to rule out and/or identify any insect or disease issues and give you options for control. It is common that evergreens shed their inner foliage to make room for new growth, but from what you have described it sounds like the entire center of the plant has turned brown and this would not be what is known as annual shedding. Unfortunately, when most evergreens turn brown and lose their outer foliage it does not grow back. This of course depends on the genus and may not be true for yours, but this is why it is important to have the problem identified. You can also have a certified arborist come out and take a look if this is a large evergreen tree and you cannot reach the middle of the tree.
