Crown dieback of a lawson cypress

Very close by to the yew tree that featured in yesterday’s post was this Lawson cypress, exhibiting some very significant dieback – but only one one of its two stems. Strange.

The stem that has the dieback has been drilled into by great-spotted woodpckers, and my understanding is that its decline has been relatively gradual (at least a few years).

So what could have caused it? If I am honest, I couldn’t say for certain. Consulting Diagnosis of ill-health in trees, and from seeing conifers in the terminal stages of dieback before, it may perhaps be honey fungus, though many other conifers nearby (pines, cedars, yews) are all in, largely, good health – one mature pine has a slightly thin foliage crown, however. Additionally, as only one side is showing such symptoms, I am unsure whether it would indeed be honey fungus – unless it has only parasitised on one section of the root plate.

If I can diagnose this, I shall do a follow-up post.