Diagnose: Arborvitae Winter Burn

1. Winter burn, meaning foliage that dried out while the roots were in cold or frozen soil.
2. Walk round the plant and look at where the brown sits. Winter burn follows exposure, so it takes the windward or sunny face and browns each spray from the tip down while the base of the spray stays green. Two lookalikes settle themselves quickly. Deer leave a level line at browsing height with frayed ends, and tip blight leaves black pinpoint specks on the twigs themselves. If silk cases are hanging in the foliage, you are on the wrong page and want arborvitae bagworms instead.

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