Can a tree with dried up leaves come back?

14 years ago

I recently bought a small crabapple tree. All of it's leaves were dried up except for one, but it is still green underneath.

Because it was cheap I decided to risk buying it in the hopes of bringing it back to life.

After a couple of weeks not much has happened. Still green underneath but no real sign of new buds. Does a tree with no leaves have a chance?

Featured Answer

Amyrmac

12 years ago

I know this post is a couple of years old, but if you're like me ...trying to learn about newly planted tree's that are struggling...I figured I'd continue this conversation if it helps anyone else!
I planted a 2" caliper/ 10 ft tall Profusion crabapple at the end of April (purchased at a reputable nursery. I, too, watched it quickly decline. All the beautiful flowers dried up and fell off, and 90% of its leaves turned brown and crispy and have since fallen off. My only hope was that the branches- when scratched were still green. So I diligently have been soaking it and caring for it when needed. Lo and behold..just the other day I noticed all kinds of new, healthy leaf buds sprouting on all the branches- a month and a half later! Moral of the story is, don't give up hope- With special attention, you can keep a "dying" tree going. I am still conscerned and will watch my tree closely- as the hot summer months have only begun and whatever killed off my previous leaves still may lurk (whether it was a disease of some sort or transplant shock- I'll never know.) I havn't given up yet!

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Comments (10)

pinetree30
14 years ago
If the leaves all died, they could be replaced by new leaves from existing buds. But if that happened, it would happen quickly, soon after the death of the original leaves removed the inhibition of the reserve buds. Sounds to me like you have dead buds, and probably a dead tree.
brandon7 TN_zone7
14 years ago
I agree. If the tree had the energy and the ability to push new growth, it would have probably have happened by now.
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Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
14 years ago
I recently bought a small crabapple tree. All of it's leaves were dried up except for one

Huh? Why?

Dan
mudflapper
14 years ago
YES! As long as it still has life in it ( scrape the bark and still see some green ) it MAY come back, by giving it a lot of TLC and make sure it only gets morning sun and making sure it is not dry and yet not sopping wet either; also no fertilizer should be added at this point for any reason whatsoever. It is in severe shock and may even need until next year to come out of it... Good luck! sometimes they really do come back from the great compost pile in the sky.

BTW putting it into a good sized pot will make this a little easier.
ellwelsh
Original Author
14 years ago
Well, this is dissappointing as I really hoped it could survive.

Dan- I have no idea why. It was from home depot. I got excited because it was the kind of crabapple and for some reason overlooked all of it's problems.

mudflapper - how much time would you give it before it's really time to give up?
eastatliens
14 years ago
I also recently bought a suspect crab apple from home depot. Mine did not look too bad at the time of purchase, but when we got it home, realized that it had almost no roots. Its been in ground about two weeks and I'm babying it, hoping it'll make it although as of now it looks like an uphill battle. Leaves are not dry per se, but they have that orange/brownish autumn hue when they should be green. I'm thinking of adding a root stimulator, or making some willow water from my pussies...
mudflapper
14 years ago
It could take until next year to come out of it; if at all.
As long as it still has some green when you scrape the bark it may come back. Last year I planted a Santa Rosa plum and thought it was dead and about to yank it out; when my brother told me to leave it in the ground, this year there is some buds starting to swell above the graft... Willow water sounds like a good idea; same thing I did in fact, but no fertilizer should be used until it starts growing, I wish you the best of luck.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
14 years ago
Lol, I was thinking that Dan meant "Huh? Why did you buy it?"
Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
14 years ago
I was thinking that Dan meant "Huh? Why did you buy it?"

Exactly. Why on earth would someone purchase a tree that looked sickly? Was it marked down 90%?

When I had my landscape business it was my rule to not buy from the bigbox & clients knew we wouldn't be going there to look at plants.

Today we'll purchase an occasional 1 gal if it is massively marked down, and I take it out of the pot and after examination it looks as if it hasn't been subject to the incompetent care typical of the bigbox. Trees? No way. I wouldn't take one for free from a bigbox.

Dan