New herbicide suspect as evergreen deaths pile up

Roger Meissen/MU Cooperative Media Group

COLUMBIA, Mo. – A new herbicide may be taking the green out of many evergreens.
Thousands of eastern white pines and Norway spruces across the country began dying and showing damage this year, and a key suspect in the mystery is Imprelis, a weed killer many lawn companies and landscapers started using this spring.

Chris Starbuck, a University of Missouri Extension state woody ornamentals specialist, said this problem will leave holes in many landscapes.

“Every tip on this tree is affected, and to produce new growth it would have to produce new shoots from the two-year growth, so it’s not likely this tree will recover,” Starbuck said as he surveyed damage to white pines in a Columbia lawn. “It’s been a surprise to everyone involved how extensive the damage appears to be. I think there will be lots of trees that have to be replaced in landscapes and it’s going to cost somebody some money.”

Read more in a recent article by Roger Meissen.