A routine annual problem on Indiana evergreen hedging. In Greenwood, two separate canopies in one city. The pre-1960 blocks around Old Town and near County Line Road hold Greenwood's only genuinely mature shade trees — just 9% of the housing stock predates 1960 — while the subdivisions east of I-65 are 2000s-era plantings still small enough to prune off a ladder. Ash is functionally gone: emerald ash borer has been confirmed in Indiana since April 2004 and is now in all 92 counties. An evergreen stripped by bagworms usually does not regrow those needles — arborvitae and spruce don't refoliate bare wood.
Greenwood's canopy and what's at risk
Two separate canopies in one city. The pre-1960 blocks around Old Town and near County Line Road hold Greenwood's only genuinely mature shade trees — just 9% of the housing stock predates 1960 — while the subdivisions east of I-65 are 2000s-era plantings still small enough to prune off a ladder. Ash is functionally gone: emerald ash borer has been confirmed in Indiana since April 2004 and is now in all 92 counties.
What to look for
Small spindle-shaped bags hanging from branches, made of the tree's own needles. Often mistaken for cones.
Whether the tree can be saved
An evergreen stripped by bagworms usually does not regrow those needles — arborvitae and spruce don't refoliate bare wood. Catching them early is the difference between a treatment and a replacement.
Timing in Johnson County
Spray in June when the larvae are small. After midsummer the bags are sealed and spraying does nothing — at that point picking them off by hand is the only option that works.
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