Evergreen trees keep their green leaves all year round. Many evergreens are coniferous trees, or conifers. Typical conifers include pines, firs, cypresses, and spruces.

Perhaps the best-known example of the fact that not all conifers are evergreens is the larch tree (Larix laricina), also known as the “tamarack” tree. But this conifer is a deciduous tree. It even bears fall foliage, as the needles turn yellow in autumn. Likewise, not all evergreens are conifers.

Conifers are also categorized as evergreens, but it is important to note that there are a few evergreen trees that do not fall in the coniferous family. Common coniferous trees are pine, fir, cedar, and redwoods.

Evergreen conifers such as pines, spruce, fir and arborvitae shed their oldest needles each year starting in late August and continuing into October. Their oldest, interior needles turn yellow while needles at the tips of the branches stay green.

The most common cause of brown pine needles occurs in the fall and is normal. Pines shed older needles similarly to other trees’ fall foliage drop. The needle drop may be impressive in a large healthy tree. These needles make great mulch.

Normal Seasonal Needle Loss Older pine needles on the interior of many types of pine trees turn yellow naturally. They typically then turn reddish-brown and eventually fall off the tree. This cause of pine trees turning yellow typically happens in the fall.

Pine trees drop their needles from late summer through fall. Needles typically begin falling in noticeable amounts in September, slowing to a halt in November or December. Pine trees begin to drop needles in late summer, typically September.

Eastern larch (also known as tamarack), dawn redwood and bald cypress trees lose all of their needles every year. Similar to deciduous trees, this helps protect them against winter conditions and (like all conifers) allows them to grow under fairly challenging soil and climate conditions.

As the trees age, older needles on the inside of the tree brown and drop off to make room for new needles. This happens to a portion of the tree’s needles every year. So if you think you have a pine tree, but it drops all its needles every winter. It’s actually one of the below trees!

Tamarack (Larix laricina), also known as American larch, is a very unique member of the pine family — one that loses its needles in fall. Only one other conifer shares this deciduous nature — the bald cypress.

This appears to be related to the freezing rain and ice we had in February 2019. Temperatures plummeted following the freezing rain event, leaving a thick layer of ice stuck to the branches. The additional weight of the ice is the cause of most of the fir and pine branch tips laying on the ground this spring.

Needle discoloration: if the pine needles are brown or lack their normal evergreen color, this is a pretty good indicator that your pine tree is dead. Excessive needle loss: if your pine tree is dropping its needles excessively this is a sign that the tree is not healthy and most likely dying.

Pine Diseases

Should You Pick Up Pine Needles? You should remove fallen pine needles from your lawn. Although pine needles can make for effective garden mulch, they do contain high levels of acidity, which can harm plants and grasses, so they can be very detrimental to lawns and gardens if left on the ground.

Pine Needle Uses The needles make excellent fire starters, flavoring for teas and vinegars, grill smoke to season meats, air fresheners, and, of course, mulch. They have many medicinal properties as well. Outside of garden use, a tea made from the leaves is not only delicious but the scent can help clear sinuses.

8 Brilliant Uses for Fallen Pine Needles

• CREATE FIRE STARTERS. Bundle a handful of dry needles with thread to use along with kindling wood and newspaper.
• USE AS MULCH.
• MAKE A DISINFECTANT.
• FLAVOR VINEGAR.
• BREW A FOOTBATH.
• COOK WITH THEM.
• FRESHEN UP A ROOM.
• FILL OUTDOOR PILLOWS.

If you try to pick them up barehanded, their sharp points prick your skin. They cling to grass and plants and won’t blow away even in the strongest winds. If left in place, they form a thick barrier that keeps sun, water, and air from reaching plants underneath. That’s why you see so many bare areas beneath pine trees.

As the name implies, pine straw comes from pine trees, which shed their needles throughout the year. When applied correctly, pine straw prevents evaporation of water from the soil, reduces the growth of weeds, and helps to prevent soil compaction and erosion. …

The best ways to clean up pine needles are by raking, using a leaf blower, sweeping, vacuuming, power washing, using duct tape, picking them up with a small garden shovel, or using your hands.

Day Lilies will grow well under pine trees, although they may not bloom to their full potential. They can grow in most types of soil, and the deep roots of the tree will not compete with the plants for moisture and nutrients.

Hydrangeas are more likely to do well under a tree than some other types of shrubs because most of their feeder roots sit close to the surface of the soil. This means that when planted under a pine tree, they do not have to push through a dense netting of roots to get the nutrients they need.

What Type of Plants Grows Well Under Pine Trees?

1. Flowers. Many flowers thrive in acidic soils and require full shade and partial shade. These include Bleeding Heart, Astilbe, Fox Glove, Bergenia, Camellia, Hosta, Lyrope, and Lily of the Valley.
2. Shrubs. Add acidic soil-loving shrubs under the pines.

These plants love the acid soil and the shade and filtered sunlight the trees provide.

• Columbines. Gorgeous flowers that aren’t fussy, columbines thrive under pine trees.
• Rhododendron. Rhododendrons come in so many colors!
• Lily of the valley.
• Wild geraniums (cranesbill)
• Jacobs ladder.
• Sweet woodruff.
• Hydrangeas.

Try growing shade tolerant groundcovers under the tree. Spotted deadnettle (Lamium), moneywort (Lysmachia), hosta, wild ginger, ferns, yellow corydalis (can be a bit weedy in milder climates), and astilbe are a few plants that will tolerate these conditions. Leave the pine needles, they make a great mulch.

Both blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) and pine (Pinus spp.) like acidic soil, and both thrive in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 though 10, making them ideal planting partners. The berry plants’ shallow roots won’t bother the pine, and both will enjoy regular irrigation.

Elephant ears grow from large, egg-shaped tubers, which should be planted at least 6 to 8 inches below the soil surface. Gardeners who want to grow elephant ears under or near pine trees should avoid slicing through tree roots to plant the tubers, seeking out soil pockets between roots instead.

What Plants Can I Use Pine Needles On? Use pine straw any and everywhere in your yard—it works great for tree, flower and vegetable gardens. In some cases, pine needles acidify the soil as they break down, so acid-loving plants like holly, azaleas, and rhododendrons appreciate a coat of pine needles.

Because pine trees typically thrive in slightly acidic soil, plants growing under them should also tolerate this pH to survive. Meanwhile, pine trees can survive in slightly alkaline soil, which is ideal for lavender. Either way, this compatibility makes lavender a viable option for planting under pine trees.

Sweet woodruff plants are primarily used as a flowering ground cover or edging for shady areas in a landscape. They also are one of the plants that grow well under pine trees where many plants fail to thrive due to soil acidity.