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Prunus Nigra looking dead ?
kgee20
Posts: 6
After several years a Prunus Nigra ( I think ) has been fine. The image showing blossom was taken in May 2018.
This year no blossom appeared and so far no leaves have developed as you can see from the other two photos.
Apologies but can't work out how to turn the images around
Can anyone help with what might have happened and whether it's worth leaving for another year
0
Posts
Starting toward the top of the plant just scrape one of the branches with your fingernail. If you can see some green just under the surface it's still alive.
If there's no green, try a bit farther down and keep going toward the base of the plant.
If there's still no green, then I'm afraid it's gonner.
If you do see some green, then it is still alive.
It's often a lack of water that causes these problems.
It's this site that rotates the photos - not you.
We thought it was a bug for the first year or so, but it now seems to be an annoying feature
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Just wondered whether this ranks as green and if so I should just leave it until next year.
I think I can see some green in there - but not a lot.
It's just under the surface of the bark where it's most noticeable and should be bright green, so literally just a fingernail scrape should reveal it.
If you can water it regularly it may come back, but no leaves at this time of year, it's not looking great tbh.
Try bending some of the small branches. If they snap they're dead, if they bend they're not dead yet.
But I think it probably needs to be replaced.
With a prunus though it will probably re-shoot from the very bottom of the tree.
So you can wait and see or do something a bit more drastic.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Interestingly I've done a lighter scrape as you suggest and there are some signs of green but nothing like the same test I did on another small tree where as you said it was bright green.
Looks like it'll need to be removed. Its just such a shame when it seems to have established so well and survived in that loction for quite a few years.
Guess that's one of the unpredictable things of gardening.