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Pine Cone Absence in Massachusetts: Not Necessarily a Problem

Question: No pine cones this year in MA after usual heavy crops. Tree looks healthy. Sign of trouble?

Answer

Cone production varies with weather, nutrients, stress. One off-year is normal. Still, hire a certified arborist to inspect for hidden pests. Local cooperative extension and MA Landscape Professionals Association are good resources.

Trees: Pine Bark Beetles in Alabama: Prevention via Tree Vigor—Contact Extension for Local Advice; Pine Tree Holes in Rows: Sapsucker Woodpecker Damage; Diagnosing Pine Tree Decline in Southern Illinois; Pine Tree Identification: Expert Referral for Virginia Specimen; Can You Transplant a 20-Foot Pine Without Roots?; Confirming Shortleaf Pine and Measuring DBH Correctly; Identifying a Tree with Round Cones & Tiny Needles: Bald Cypress; Heavy Cone Production on Ponderosa Pine Indicates Stress; Identifying a Pine Tree from a Photo; Managing Neighbor's Pine Tree Roots Encroaching Your Yard

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