No, not disease (it's a white pine - Pinus strobus) - and it probably died during winter and showing those signs, now.

Dax

Mountain Pine Pinus mugo; looks like it is dead. Impossible to make a diagnosis of the cause of death from this pic alone. When was it planted?

Resin

Well that explains why I thought it was Pinus nigra at first (a hard pine) and died from Pine Wilt Nematode. Irrelevant...

Dax

i cant see the buds ....

if the buds are viable.. and start extending ... then there is some chance of life..

it had nothing to do with you moving rock ...

pines are not really shade plants... but can tolerate such.. to some extent ...

do you see any whitish, fuzzy buds... ???

ken

Thanks for all the responses! I don't see any whitish fuzz. I have posted a new closer up pic below. I don't know when it was planted; we moved into the house in June and it seemed fine then (although it was obviously desperate for sun as it had spread itself out to try to reach a sunnier spot).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22365241@N05/5618893445/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22365241@N05/5619479522/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22365241@N05/5618889105/in/photostream/

The tree certainly does not look happy, although, to my inexperienced eyes, that last picture in the post above looks as if there might still be some life left in those buds. Whether or not it is enough to maintain the tree though....

Only bright spot - if the plant dies, you now have the opportunity to plant something that will be happier in that small shady area.

Holly

Thanks for mentioning to look for buds before discarding a yellowed shrub. My Picea koreana 'CIS" probably was not suited for zone 5a, though covered with 2 ft snow, is all yellowing now too. I can feel with you, cubanlilly.

Sorry, Abies koreana 'CIS'.

So how can I know how much longer to nurture it and when to let it go? And is there anything I could do to help it along?