Dead and Gone

Awhile back, I lamented the dying of our four Monterey pines (Monterey Pine Death).

Alas, they are gone. A couple of weeks ago, we paid a "tree service" company to cut down the dead trunks (though the largest still had green needles on its branches), haul away the wood, and grind out the stumps.




There is now a bright emptiness in our backyard where they once stood. We are considering planting citrus trees in their place. Perhaps a lemon or lime tree.

Monterey Pine Death

Our trees are dying.

Three Monterey Pine trees along the East fence of our property are dead, and the fourth is dying. An arborist said they were attacked by the Red Turpentine Beetle.

Monterey pines live an average of 80-90 years. Few live past 150 years. These trees would be approximately 53 years old, if they were planted when the house was built. Though a bit early, it is not unusual for Monterey Pines to die this way.

Here's a link to some photos I took last summer, when only two of the trees had died. Some photos show the small pile of wood and sap particles that the beetle pushed out the hole when it bored into the base of the trunk.