Orange tree tops in the forest a sign of stress

John McGuire Contributor There has been a recent increase in pine tree deaths reported in a swath extending from Tallahassee heading north to Thomasville and then east over to Valdosta and south to Steinhatchee. This unfortunate phenomenon appears to be a result of a "perfect storm" of environmental calamities, primarily starting with a series of hurricanes and exacerbated by a hot, dry September. The slow demise of these trees is likely to have begun in the summer of 2023 with Hurricane Id