How Do I Know If My Tree Is Dead or Just Dormant?
Wondering if your tree is dead or just sleeping? Here's how to tell. Every spring, homeowners across the Salt Lake Valley look at their bare trees and worry they did not survive winter. That anxiety is especially common after a harsh Utah winter with deep freezes, heavy snow loads, and late-season temperature swings. The good news is most deciduous trees in Utah — maples, oaks, cottonwoods, fruit trees — are naturally dormant through early spring. They are not dead. They are just waiting for consistent warmth. Here is everything you need to know to tell the difference. Use the Scratch Test — It Is the Most Reliable Method Gently scrape a small patch of bark off a branch with your thumbnail or a knife. If the layer underneath is green and moist, the branch is alive — the tree is dormant. If it is brown, dry, and brittle, that branch is dead. Test several branches across the tree before concluding the whole tree has died. What Does Tree Dormancy Look Like? Dormancy is a tree's...