What is the white stuff growing on pine cones?
Pine trees emit a sticky substance known as resin. This resin will ooze from the bark and branches. Sometimes the resin drips from higher branches to lower branches. When the resin dries it becomes hard and white as it crystalizes. Pine trees will ooze this resin for a number of reasons: the bark was damaged by a tree saw, a boring pine weevil, or from storm damage. Just like when we get cuts and bruises, pine trees become more suscepticle to infection and other diseases when the cuts aren’t sanitzed and treated properly. However, in your case your tree may be suffering from pitch canker, a rather common fungus problem in many pine species. There is no known cure for this fungus. Pines will weaken and die.
