Is this Korean Hornbeam dead?

Sonny85

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Hi everyone

My Korean hornbeam lost all of its leaves when it snowed a couple of months ago. They still haven't started to grow back which is worrying, but when I scratch the bark it is still green underneath. Also when I bend a branch it bends softly without breaking.

Does anyone have experience with these that can possibly advise and help?

ThanksPXL_20210509_185137648.jpg
 

MGTT

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I don’t see any buds...and the ’soil’ looks really wet. I’d say it doesn’t look promising.
 

penumbra

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Where are you? Mine didn't have leaves yet 2 months ago. I don't think the snow had anything to do with it. Mine have hit 28 degrees and leaves were not harmed.
 

Sonny85

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Interesting...

I'm in London, UK and the tree is kept outdoors

MGTT - the lack of buds worries me too but will wait and see what happens. The soil is wet because it was raining, but the soil has good drainage so it never sits in water.
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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Put it outside in full sun. It should leaf out when the local landscape trees leaf out. If it has not leafed out within a month of the local trees, that would be a bad sign. Give it until early summer, another couple weeks. If no leaves, its dead.
 

sorce

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The cold was probably just the coffin nail.

Welcome to Crazy!

Since we're on nails.....

The wet soil wouldn't be terrible in a terra cotta pot, but the black can heat up to a 60degreeF Temperature differential between the soil core and all the precious roots around the outside.

This is simply too unnatural a situation for the tree to deal with.

Sorce
 

Bnana

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And stop torturing it! Don't scratch weak trees!
You're making wounds that could end up killing your tree. Would you stab someone who's unconscious to see whether they still bleed?
Put it out in the sun and wait.
 

zedmarcus

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I'm in South Lincolnshire and my Korean Hornbeam has only just started leafing out. A couple of months ago when we had snow it didn't have any leaves on it. Makes me wonder why yours already had leaves on it back then. 😕
 

Forsoothe!

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I don't know, but I assume that the Korean is not that much different from the Hornbeams traditionally used all over England and Europe for huge hedges. When they have have leaves, so should the Korean.
 

Sonny85

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And stop torturing it! Don't scratch weak trees!
You're making wounds that could end up killing your tree. Would you stab someone who's unconscious to see whether they still bleed?
Put it out in the sun and wait.
Ha yes exactly, it was just I minor one to test its pulse, otherwise I've just left it with minimal interference.
 

Sonny85

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I'm in South Lincolnshire and my Korean Hornbeam has only just started leafing out. A couple of months ago when we had snow it didn't have any leaves on it. Makes me wonder why yours already had leaves on it back then. 😕
Okay great this sounds promising. Just going to leave it outside and monitor for another month or so.

Thanks all!
 

Forsoothe!

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There still has not had enough info to establish why this tree had leaves in the middle of winter. What was the situation? How was the tree over-wintered? It is listed as USDA zones 7a to 5b and the only difference in leaf drop should be a month or so on either end. Failure to give a hardy tree a suitable rest period in the cold is usually terminal.
 

Forsoothe!

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Growing seasons around the world vary widely and it is difficult to get a perspective on what someone says when we don't know where in the world they are. If you go to the upper right hand corner and click on your Icon, you can add your location and people will be able to customize advice for you.




<<<<< It will show here.
 

Sonny85

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Growing seasons around the world vary widely and it is difficult to get a perspective on what someone says when we don't know where in the world they are. If you go to the upper right hand corner and click on your Icon, you can add your location and people will be able to customize advice for you.




<<<<< It will show here.
Thanks for the tip, I've updated my profile now.
 

Sonny85

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There still has not had enough info to establish why this tree had leaves in the middle of winter. What was the situation? How was the tree over-wintered? It is listed as USDA zones 7a to 5b and the only difference in leaf drop should be a month or so on either end. Failure to give a hardy tree a suitable rest period in the cold is usually terminal.
To be honest we had a late starting winter here in the UK and it was also my first winter with this tree, so I wasn't sure how to expect it to behave. It was left out and fully exposed to all elements, so if it's alive it's probably just still in dormancy, as it is (annoyingly) still cold here.
 

Vance Wood

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I don’t see any buds...and the ’soil’ looks really wet. I’d say it doesn’t look promising.
The movie Cave Man staring Ringo Starr had a word for it: It's pooka.
 
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