Once decline starts, stopping or reversing the problem is usually futile. Decline White pine root decline, also called procera root disease, has been diagnosed in a limited number of Christmas tree plantations and landscapes in Kentucky. Although the disease is most serious on white pine, the fungus also can kill Scots and Austrian pines. Symptoms Trees, age 3 to 15 years, infected for several years show delayed bud break and reduced candle elongation in spring. Mature foliage then fades, droops, and turns brown, in stark contrast to healthy trees nearby.
Mortality appears to be at random with a few trees dying each year.
A 20 percent loss is common, but some stands may lose half of the trees. Resin flow is visible at the tree base and is associated with a girdling chocolate brown to dark olive-brown canker under the bark. The trunk may be flattened on the affected side. Galleries of insects such as the pine root collar weevil may be found in the canker and provide a place for the fungus to sporulate. Weevils and other bark-infesting insects may serve as vectors for this disease.