A Sitka Spruce tree that has welcomed generations of Oregonians and coastal visitors is set to be trimmed or removed due to decay. Oregon State Parks says the tree is suffering from extensive rot ...

A Sitka spruce tree that has been a popular landmark at the Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site has been partially removed.

A Sitka spruce near Yachats, Ore., damaged by spruce aphid in 2025. Photo courtesy of the Oregon Department of Forestry “The last time we saw it this extensively was in 2019, where we had about ...

A spruce aphid outbreak detected earlier this year around Yachats on the central Oregon coast is prompting the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) to assess the spread of damage along the coastline.

Earlier this spring, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department declared this Sitka spruce tree at Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site a hazard due to widespread decay throughout the 150-year-old conifer.

Earlier this spring, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department declared this Sitka spruce tree at Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site a hazard due to widespread decay throughout the 150-year-old conifer.

According to ODF, the spruce aphid is "a long-established exotic and invasive insect" that can experience periodic outbreaks that hurt Sitka spruce trees along the West Coast and in Oregon.

The Sitka spruce is a coniferous, evergreen tree that can grow anywhere between 125 and 180 feet tall and can live for several centuries. Older needles on a Sitka spruce damaged by spruce aphids.

The aphid, known scientifically as Elatobium abietinum, extracts moisture and nutrients from older needles on Sitka spruce trees, causing them to turn yellow, red, and eventually drop.

According to ODF, the spruce aphid is "a long-established exotic and invasive insect" that can experience periodic outbreaks that hurt Sitka spruce trees along the West Coast and in Oregon.