--- title: Winter Desiccation (Winter Burn) on Evergreens url: https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/winter-desiccation/ business: Battle Born Tree Service address: 6301 US Highway 50 East, Carson City, NV 89701 phone: 775.232.8243 hours: Office Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm; phones answered seven days a week; 24-hour emergency service credentials: ISA Certified Arborist WE-11728A on staff; Nevada Business License # 20131580674; fully insured type: Tree service (removal, crane work, pruning, stump grinding, defensible space, snow removal, firewood) --- - [Home](https://battleborntreeservice.com/) - [Tree guide](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/) - Winter desiccation (winter burn) # Winter desiccation (winter burn) Winter desiccation, or winter burn, browns the needles of pines, spruce and other evergreens when dry, windy winter weather pulls water out of the foliage faster than frozen or dry soil can replace it. Many trees recover, so wait for spring growth before pruning or removing, unless the tree is a hazard. - **What it is:** Water loss from evergreen foliage in winter when roots cannot replace it - **Trees affected:** Pines, spruce, junipers, arborvitae and broadleaf evergreens - **Where in our area:** Wind-exposed yards at any elevation, about 4,000 to 7,100 feet - **Key sign:** Brown or reddish needle tips, newest growth first, pines half green and half brown - **Timing:** Appears in late winter and early spring Northern Nevada winters are dry, windy and often snow-poor, which is the recipe for winter burn. Colorado State Extension says it occurs in warm, windy, low-humidity weather with little snow cover and long dry spells. This page covers what to look for, which trees, what an arborist checks and when pruning or removal is the answer. ## What does winter desiccation look like? Needles turn yellow-brown or reddish, and in pines they look half green and half brown, according to Colorado State. The damage begins on the outer and newest growth and moves along the needle from the tip toward the base. Broadleaf evergreens show leaf scorch. It shows up in late winter or early spring, after the weather that caused it. The pattern follows wind and sun. The windward side of a tree, a tree on the southwest side of a building and trees along roads and sidewalks are hit hardest. Last year's transplants and trees with limited root space are especially vulnerable. - Brown or reddish needles from the tips back - Pines half green and half brown - Worst on exposed or southwest sides - Bases of needles and buds can stay green ## Which trees and which elevations? Colorado State lists Manhattan euonymus, pyracantha, holly, Dwarf Alberta spruce, certain junipers, arborvitae and pines among the affected. Our pages for [Colorado blue spruce](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/colorado-blue-spruce/), [Austrian pine](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/austrian-pine/) and [junipers](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/utah-juniper/) cover the evergreens most often planted here. It can happen anywhere, but the wind-exposed benches and ridgelines are worst, along with Washoe Zephyr winds on the valley floors; see [Washoe Zephyr wind and trees](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/washoe-zephyr-wind-tree-prep/). Roots in frozen soil cannot replace water, which is why snow-poor winters matter. ## Why does it happen, and how do you tell it from beetles? Evergreens keep their foliage and keep transpiring through winter. When the soil is frozen or dry, small roots cannot supply water and the needles dry out. Colorado State also notes deicing salt near roads can cause the same symptoms. A beetle-killed pine usually fades from the whole crown, shows pitch tubes or boring dust and does not green up in spring; see [bark beetles in pines](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/bark-beetles-in-pines/). A tree with winter burn often keeps live buds. Colorado State says live buds are soft and pliable. Drought and wind in summer can also make leaves scorch; see [drought stress and dieback](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/drought-stress-and-dieback/). ## What does an arborist check? The arborist checks buds and inner needles for life, the pattern of browning against the wind and sun, the roots and soil, whether the tree is new, and whether bark beetle signs are present. - Live buds on browned branches - Pattern of damage against wind and sun - Beetle holes, pitch or boring dust - Root space and soil - Age of planting ## When is pruning or removal the answer? Wait. Colorado State says the damage cannot be reversed but that new spring growth is usually not affected, and checks of the buds tell you what is alive. Brown needles do not mean the branch is dead, so pruning in the first spring after damage often cuts live wood. Come back after the new growth has pushed, and then dead tips can be taken out. Removal is the answer when the tree is dead, when buds are dry and brittle after the new growth should have appeared, or when beetles are in it. A dead evergreen near a house is brittle and a fire hazard; see [ladder fuels](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/ladder-fuels-limbing-up/). ## What does Battle Born Tree Service do about winter burn? Call [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243) or use the estimate form on this page. An ISA Certified Arborist looks at the tree on site, explains what is wrong and tells you whether the job is waiting, pruning dead tips or removal. Credential WE-11728A is held by one of our two certified arborists. We identify the problem, prune out dead or hazardous wood and remove trees that cannot be saved; we do not spray, inject, fertilize or apply products. ### Sources - [Colorado State University PlantTalk: Winter Desiccation of Evergreens](https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/weeds-cultural-problems/2129-winter-desiccation-evergreens) (read October 17, 2026) - [Colorado State University Extension: Environmental Disorders of Woody Plants](https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/environmental-disorders-of-woody-plants-2-932) (read October 17, 2026) ### Talk to the office [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243) | Monday to Friday | 8:30 am - 5:00 pm | |---|---| | Saturday and Sunday | Office closed, phones answered | Phones answered seven days a week. 24-hour emergency service. [Free estimate](#quote) ### Keep reading - [Colorado blue spruce](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/colorado-blue-spruce/) - [Austrian pine](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/austrian-pine/) - [Bark beetles in pines](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/bark-beetles-in-pines/) - [Drought stress and dieback](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/drought-stress-and-dieback/) - [Washoe Zephyr and downslope winds: preparing your trees](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/washoe-zephyr-wind-tree-prep/) - [Sunscald and frost cracks](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-guide/sunscald-and-frost-cracks/) ### Terms on this page [Arborist](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/arborist/) [Leaf scorch](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/leaf-scorch/) [Pitch tubes](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/pitch-tubes/) [The full glossary](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/) ## Questions people ask Still have a question? Call [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243). Phones are answered seven days a week. ### Is my brown evergreen dead? Not necessarily. Colorado State says live buds are soft and pliable, and new spring growth is usually not affected. ### Is winter burn the same as bark beetle damage? No. Winter burn follows dry, windy weather and starts at the needle tips on exposed sides. Beetle-killed trees fade across the whole crown and don't green up. ### When should I prune winter-burned evergreens? After the new growth has pushed in spring, so it is clear what is dead. The arborist can tell you at the visit.