Pine Needles Growing Out of my Oak Tree

by Troy Perry
(Lincolnton, NC)

Oak Tree With Pine Needles?

There is a cluster of what appear to be pine needles growing from the side of my mother’s oak tree. They live in the western Piedmont region of NC.

Comments for Pine Needles Growing Out of my Oak Tree

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Mar 01, 2021

How Weird!
by: Jacki Cammidge, Certified Horticulturist

I wondered at first if this was some kind of mistletoe or other plant parasite, On further research, the particular mistletoe that could affect oak trees is not in your area. Plus, it has opposite rounded leaves. So that's not it.

In the picture, the oak tree shows a long scar that seems to be mostly healed over. I wonder if a pine seed blew in there before it healed, or was dropped by a curious bird, and germinated.

If this curiosity showed up in my yard, I would be getting the ladder out to see if it really was a pine tree (the smell of the cut needles will tell you for sure). Your choice whether to remove it or not. I doubt if either tree will survive long term in this situation, but it would be interesting to find out.

An arborist would be the best professional to ask advice from, specifically how to safely remove it from the oak tree so as to not damage it further.

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