How to tell if a tree is dead (and when you might still save it)

The fastest way to tell if a tree is dead: scratch a small branch with your thumbnail. Green and moist underneath means alive. Brown and dry means dead. That test takes thirty seconds and it’s right about 90% of the time.

But a dead tree near your house is more than an eyesore. A 60-foot dead oak can put a hole through your roof, your car, or your neighbor’s fence. In California, dead trees also increase fire risk during our long dry seasons. Here are nine diagnostic signs, the dead-versus-dormant distinction that trips up most homeowners, and honest guidance on when you can save a declining tree and when it’s time to get removal quotes.

The scratch test (your 30-second answer)

Use your thumbnail or a clean pocket knife to scrape away a small section of bark on a twig or small branch. You’re exposing the cambium layer, the thin tissue between the bark and the wood that transports water and nutrients.

Green and moist means alive. The pathways for water and nutrients are intact. Brown and dry means that section is dead. Dull green or yellowish means alive but stressed and declining.

Test multiple branches in different parts of the tree. A tree can be partially dead with some branches gone and others still viable. Test the trunk at waist height for the definitive answer. Green cambium on the trunk means the tree is viable even if some branches are gone.

One caveat for fruit tree owners: on grafted trees, green cambium below the graft union only means the rootstock is alive. The grafted variety above may still be dead.

The snap test (check the branches)

Grab a pencil-thickness branch and bend it. An alive branch bends and flexes without breaking. You’ll feel a slight springiness. A dead branch snaps cleanly with a dry crack. No flexibility. Dry inside.

Dead branches often look gray and have no buds. Start with outer branches and work inward. If every branch you test snaps, that’s a dead tree. This test works best on deciduous trees. Conifers retain some brittleness even when healthy, so pair the snap test with the scratch test for evergreens.

Check the buds

Even in winter, a dormant tree produces buds at branch tips. They’re firm, rounded, and symmetrical. A dead tree has no buds, or buds that are dry, shriveled, and crumbly when you pinch them.

This is one of the easiest ways to distinguish dead from dormant in late winter and early spring. By early spring (March in NorCal), dormant trees should show bud swell with the buds plumping up as sap begins flowing. No bud activity by mid-April in zones 8-9 is a strong indicator the tree is dead.

Bark falling off or missing

Some trees shed bark naturally. Sycamores, eucalyptus, birch, and crepe myrtles all peel as part of their normal growth cycle. That’s fine.

The concerning signs are bark falling off in patches with no new bark underneath, exposing bare wood. Dark, sunken, cracked areas called cankers are caused by fungi entering through wounds. If bark peels away to reveal mats of fungus or dry brown wood underneath, the tree is in serious decline.

If bark is missing in a full ring around the trunk (called girdling), the tree cannot transport nutrients. Everything above that point will die. The Iowa State Extension guide on bark shedding has good photo examples of normal versus abnormal bark loss.

Mushrooms and fungal growth at the base

Mushrooms or shelf-like bracket fungi (called conks) growing at the base of a tree or on the trunk signal internal decay. These are the fruiting bodies of fungi that have already colonized the heartwood or root system. By the time you see mushrooms, the rot has been working for months or years.

Root rot and butt rot fungi like Armillaria (honey fungus) compromise structural stability. White fungal growth between bark and wood at ground level is a classic Armillaria sign. Bracket fungi on the trunk indicate heartwood decay.

Not all mushrooms near a tree mean it’s dying. Mycorrhizal fungi growing in the root zone can actually be beneficial. The concern is fungi growing directly on the trunk or root flare. A tree with significant fungal decay at the base can fall without warning. That’s a “call an arborist today” situation. The UGA Extension publication C-1100 covers bottom-up inspection methods for spotting these problems early.

Crown dieback

Dieback is the progressive death of twigs and branches from the tips downward, usually starting in the upper and outer crown. Crown dieback greater than 10% of the canopy is an early warning sign of root damage, soil compaction, drought stress, or disease.

It means the tree cannot transport water and nutrients to its extremities. Look for dead branch tips, a thin canopy compared to previous years, leaves only on lower or inner branches, and one-sided canopy loss.

The Morton Arboretum’s guide to decline in trees breaks it down clearly: 11-25% dieback puts a tree in “fair” condition. 26-50% is “poor.” Over 50% is likely terminal. Dead branches in the crown are also a falling hazard. A dead branch from 40 feet up can kill someone.

Root problems you can spot from above ground

You can’t see most roots, but above-ground clues tell the story.

Missing root flare: A healthy tree trunk flares outward where it meets the ground. If the trunk goes straight into the soil like a telephone pole, roots may be buried too deep or girdling roots are strangling it.

Girdling roots wrap around the trunk base, cutting off water and nutrient flow. Symptoms include gradual crown thinning, undersized leaves, early fall color, and dieback on one side. This is common in trees planted too deep or left in burlap too long. The Morton Arboretum’s root problems guide has detailed photos.

Heaving soil on one side of the tree base, especially after storms, signals root plate failure. The tree is starting to uproot. A tree that has developed a new lean combined with soil mounding on the opposite side is actively failing. That’s an immediate hazard.

Trunk damage: cavities, splits, and sudden leaning

A trunk cavity doesn’t automatically mean the tree is doomed. Research published in the ISA journal Arboriculture & Urban Forestry shows a trunk can lose up to 70% of its internal wood and retain about two-thirds of its structural strength, as long as the outer shell remains intact. Rule of thumb from UMass Extension: if there’s at least 1 inch of sound wood for every 6 inches of trunk diameter, the tree is likely stable.

Large cavities at the base between the root flare and lowest branch are the most dangerous. That’s the tree’s structural weak point. Vertical splits or cracks that go deep into the trunk can indicate internal decay or frost damage.

Sudden leaning is the red flag. A tree that has always leaned slightly is adapting. A tree that suddenly develops a new lean is actively failing at the root system. If you see a new lean with heaving soil, call an arborist immediately.

Pest indicators: bore holes and sawdust

Small holes in the bark, especially D-shaped holes about 1/8 inch across, are exit holes from emerald ash borer. That’s a death sentence for ash trees within 3-5 years. The Ohio State Extension factsheet shows exactly what to look for.

Sawdust (called frass) at the base of the tree signals boring insects like bark beetles, clearwing borers, or carpenter ants. Increased woodpecker activity on a tree is often the first visible sign of a borer infestation. The birds are hunting larvae under the bark. S-shaped galleries under the bark, visible if you peel back loose bark sections, confirm the diagnosis.

In California, bark beetles killed over 100 million trees during the 2012-2016 drought. Trees weakened by drought, poor pruning, or root damage are the most vulnerable to pest attack.

No leaves during the growing season

This is the most obvious sign. If every other tree on your street has leafed out and yours hasn’t by mid-spring, something is wrong.

Deciduous trees should have a full canopy by late April or early May in most of zones 7-9. Leaves that emerge small, yellow, or sparse indicate severe stress. Premature leaf drop in summer (not fall) signals drought stress, root failure, or vascular disease like verticillium wilt.

For evergreen trees, look for needles turning brown from the interior outward. Some interior needle drop is normal on pines that shed 2-3 year old needles in fall. Browning that starts at the tips and progresses inward is a problem. If a tree has zero leaf growth by June, it’s almost certainly dead.

Dead or just dormant? How to tell the difference

This is the winter panic question. Your deciduous tree has no leaves in January. Is it dead?

Dormant trees have plump buds on branch tips, pass the scratch test with green cambium, have branches that bend without snapping, and have intact bark. Dead trees have no buds or shriveled buds, fail the scratch test with brown dry cambium, have branches that snap cleanly, and may have bark peeling with no regrowth underneath.

The most reliable test: wait until mid-spring. If no bud swell or leaf emergence by 4-6 weeks after other trees of the same species have leafed out, the tree is dead. Winter is actually the best time to spot structural defects like cavities, cracks, and dead branches because there are no leaves hiding them. Penn State Extension notes that structural defects are best detected in late fall through early spring.

When to call an arborist

You can handle it yourself: the scratch test, snap test, bud check, and visual inspection of bark condition. You can diagnose an obviously dead tree without professional help.

Call an arborist when:

• The tree is over 20 feet tall and near a structure, power line, or high-traffic area
• You see sudden leaning with soil heaving
• Fungal conks or mushrooms are growing on the trunk or root flare
• Large dead branches are hanging in the crown (these are called widowmakers for a reason)
• The tree shows mixed signals with alive sections and dead sections
• You need to know if a declining tree can be saved
• After storm damage

ISA Certified Arborists have tools homeowners don’t: sonic tomography, Resistograph drills to test internal decay, and air spade tools to examine root systems. A basic assessment typically runs $75-150. A Level 2 detailed assessment with written report runs $250-500. Find one at the ISA arborist search tool. Mississippi State Extension advises hiring someone certified through ISA, carrying insurance, and bonded.

Can a dying tree be saved?

Yes, sometimes. The key factor is how much damage has already been done.

Likely saveable (less than 25% crown dieback):

• Deep watering at 1 inch per week with a slow drip to the root zone
• 2-4 inches of mulch over the root zone, keeping mulch 6 inches from the trunk
• Corrective pruning to remove dead and diseased branches
• Soil amendments if pH is off (test first)
• Treatment for identified pests or diseases

Maybe saveable (25-50% crown dieback):

• All of the above plus professional intervention
• Deep root fertilization ($150-300, arborist-applied)
• Fungicide or insecticide treatments for specific identified pathogens
• Root collar excavation to address girdling roots
• Budget 2-5 years for recovery

Probably not saveable (over 50% crown dieback):

• Trunk severely hollow or structurally compromised
• Major root decay confirmed
• Vascular disease like Dutch elm disease or oak wilt has spread through the tree
• The tree has become a safety hazard

In California, drought-stressed trees that haven’t been watered for multiple dry seasons may recover with consistent deep irrigation. But bark beetle damage is usually irreversible. For next steps, read our tree removal guide.

Why you shouldn’t ignore a dead tree

Dead trees lose structural integrity fast. Once a tree dies, sapwood decays rapidly and the tree becomes increasingly likely to fail in wind, rain, or even on a calm day.

Liability is real. If your dead tree falls on a neighbor’s property or injures someone, and you knew or should have known it was dead, you can be held liable. Many homeowners insurance policies expect reasonable maintenance. A dead tree you ignored for two years may not be covered.

In fire-prone areas across Northern California, dead trees are fuel. CAL FIRE guidelines call for removing dead trees within 100 feet of structures as part of creating defensible space. Dead trees also attract wood-boring insects that can spread to healthy trees nearby.

Removal cost goes up the longer you wait. The tree becomes more brittle, more dangerous to work on, and more costly if it falls on its own. For most residential trees, expect $500-$2,500 for removal and $3,000-$10,000 or more for very large trees near structures. If you’re dealing with the aftermath of a fall, our guides on protecting trees from storms and what to do after storm damage cover the next steps. For property value impacts of dead and dying trees, this overview on landscape maintenance has useful context.

The bottom line: scratch test first. Check buds and bark. Look for mushrooms and crown dieback. If less than 25% of the canopy is gone, you probably have time to intervene. Over 50%, start getting removal quotes. When in doubt, spend $100-150 on an arborist visit. It’s cheaper than the $15,000 insurance deductible when the tree drops through your roof.