Hello,
You may not remember but I had contacted you in the summer because my maple tree in my backyard (west facing) seemed to be suffering from particularly bad tree scorch. I had sent in some pictures and that seemed to be the diagnosis. I tried excessive watering and all the advice I was given, but come Fall, the leaves were shriveled up and never fell. In fact, it’s dead winter now and the dried leaves are still on the tree. I’m wondering…is this tree salvageable or is it dead? I have pictures I could share if it helps.
Thank you
Oh dear, what difficult circumstances for you and your tree. It is difficult to tell from a picture whether the tree is dead or not.
One of the best ways to determine if a tree or any plant is dead is the tree scratch test. Just beneath the dry, outer layer of bark in a tree’s trunk lies the cambium layer of bark. In a living tree, this is green; in a dead tree, it is brown and dry. Live branches should also have new buds on them.
You can read more about this https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/how-examine-deciduous-tree-leaf-out-problems
Good luck.