How to Tell if a Large Tree is Dead

Determining whether a tree is dead and needs to be removed or if it is simply ailing from problems with insects, weather or infection can be a tricky job. Before calling in a tree service, try to diagnose the problem on your own.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Check out the leaves. Are they discolored? Or were they green the most recent spring and summer? Are the leaves falling prematurely? Dark spots may indicate bugs, disease or transplant shock, and consistently yellow leaves may indicate an injury to the root system or a high soil pH. No leaves, or consistently brown leaves, may hint that the tree is, in fact, dead.

2. Check out the branches. If you can find new branches stemming out from existing branches, the tree still has a shot at recovery. Chew marks or holes mean the problem may be an insect infestation, and a wet or sticky liquid is a red flag of bacterial infection. If you aren’t positive the tree is dead, prune off the dry branches and wait for new growth to appear over the next year.

3. Break off a limb. Is it green or white and moist (indicating life)? Or is the limb brown, cracked and dry (indicating death)?

4. If the limbs are too high off the ground to reach, or if you are hesitant to cause further damage to the tree by breaking off a limb, scrape away a small piece of bark with your fingernail and look at the cabium, a thin layer between the bark and the inside wood. If the tree is alive, the cabium should be green.

Tips & Warnings

• When in doubt, have a botanist or a tree-removal expert you can trust to examine the tree and tell you the truth. It can be cheaper to take out a nearly-dead tree than to take out a fully-dead tree. But if there is a chance the tree can be saved, do Mother Nature a favor and give it the care it needs.
• Instead of sending the branches, limbs and stump to a landfill, consider shredding the wood for mulch or using it for firewood next winter.
• If you choose to have your tree taken out, make sure the removal service is certified and has insurance to cover any damage done to your property (like your fence or roof) and any injuries sustained by its employees.

Resources

• Diagnosing Tree Problems

[RubyBayan]

on 9/15/2008 Our neighbor waited for the tree to lose all its leaves, go brittle and look "really" dead before they called the tree cutters. They had to have it taken away before the hurricane season hit. Thanks for your tips.