My neighbor showed up on my doorstep, panicked about his pine tree. He brought a picture which showed needles changing color and falling off. What was wrong with the tree, was it dying? Looks scary, huh?Homeowners will often see their needles on evergreen trees turning brown and falling off in the late summer or fall and become alarmed. Needle drop on pine trees is a naturally occurring phenomena. If pine needles turn brown from the interior of the tree, and the outer needless stay green, there is no cause for alarm.
Most people know that deciduous trees such as cottonwoods, oaks, or maples lose their leaves in the fall, but fewer people understand that evergreen trees also lose their old needles in the late summer or fall. Needle age at which drop occurs varies among evergreens and within species. Eastern white pine loses 2-year old needles. On the other extreme, bristle-cone pine sheds needles that are 14-17 years old. If there is die-back or yellowing on the tips of branches or needles, there may be a problem. Consider drought, salts, root damage, herbicide damage, soil compaction, insects, or other factors. 
These conifers all lose their needles every autumn, to be replaced the following spring.
Don't lose hope - it's normal!!!
