No Leaves on Tree? How To Tell if a Tree Is Dead vs Trees That Look Dead But Aren’t

Worried about having no leaves on tree?

Sometimes a tree could have no leaves on its branches, without necessarily being dead or dying.

Some trees enter stages during the life and growth that can look like it’s in trouble. The key to knowing when there’s an issue with your tree is to understand the species growing habits.

This way, you can easily discern whether your tree is being threatened by disease or pests…or if it’s just recruiting it’s strength to grow even more next year.

This complete guide can help you identify what to do if you notice no leaves on tree.

How To Tell if a Tree Is Dead: Identifying a Dead Tree

Some trees lose their leaves during different seasons, which could make the trees look dead. It is important to know how to differentiate between a dead tree and one that is just shedding its leaves due to seasonal changes.

Also, leaf loss happens differently on different tree species, making it hard to know which trees are dying and which ones are not.

Sometimes a loss of leaves is an indicator of a problem. A tree unnaturally losing its leaves can be caused by aging, excess water problems, starvation, insects and diseases, or a catastrophic event.

Fortunately, the symptoms of a dying tree are easy to identify, but only when you know what to look for.

Examine the Leaves: Why Are There No Leaves on My Tree? (No Leaves on Tree)

Using the leaves is the easiest way to identify whether the tree is dying or not.

Deciduous trees are different from evergreen ones, and even if looking at leaves to identify a dying tree is straightforward, you need a little expertise on the type of tree.

(Image: Gary Ellis⁶)

Deciduous trees shed their leaves at the end of the growing season (usually in fall), while evergreen ones remain green all year.¹ The shedding of leaves is to prepare for the cold winter season, where the tree seals in the water to preserve itself throughout the winter.

Due to such characteristics, it might not be easy to tell whether a plant is losing its leaves as part of its growth process or for other reasons.

However, if a tree’s leaves start drying or reducing in number before the end of its growing season, then that is an indicator of a potential problem. Trees that shed off their leaves at the end of their growing season naturally will have a self-healing process that seals the parts where the leaves were to keep the tree safe.

You can also check for weak branches or rotted areas on the tree.

To identify issues with an evergreen tree, typically these will show brown needles or branches drying out at the top.

Examine the Branches (Tree Branch No Leaves)

It is common to find a dead branch on huge trees as they shed off some of their branches along the way. However, having multiple dying branches could mean the tree is in distress. One way to determine whether a branch is dying is to test its flexibility by trying to bend it.

If the branch is alive, you can even use your fingers, and the branch will easily bend. If you try the test and find that the branch is brittle, that could be a sign that the branch is already dead.

A single dead branch is not something to be alarmed about, but multiple dried out, dead branches can mean there’s a problem.

(Image: Adarsh Kummur⁷)

If more than two of the big branches on a tree are brittle, then that tree could be dying from the inside. Do follow-up checks on other crucial parts of the tree to confirm the diagnosis. Also, it is pretty obvious that if a branch is already dried up, it will definitely not have any leaves on it.

Note that older trees tend to shed off their branches at one point in their lifecycle.

Therefore, the dead branches tip would work best on smaller trees and shrubs. If a tree is about 100 years old, it might have more than one dead branch without necessarily being in its last stages of life.

Examine the Trunk

The trunk is a significant part of the tree, and if the tree is in trouble, the trunk may show signs.

Very often, a dying tree of any species will have peeling bark, and most of the trunk will be exposed. However, that is not as straightforward in some trees like the Crape Myrtle. The tree has a naturally peeling bark and would therefore not be an accurate diagnosis of the tree.

Another way to identify a dying tree using the trunk is to look for signs of decay on the tree. A dying tree can often have a ring of decay around the entire trunk.

If you see the ring and notice that the bark is also peeling, this could be confirmation that the tree’s health is declining. In this case, you can contact an arborist to get their professional opinion on the tree’s overall health.

(Image: Jacek Ulinski⁸)

Dying trees also tend to die from the inside before any significant signs appear on the outside. For example, some older White Oak trees decay from the inside.

If the tree’s bark is still intact, scratching it off could help you tell whether it is dead or just looks dead. A live tree will be green on the inside, even when the outside looks all dried up and brittle.

Inspect the Roots

Roots form the base of the tree, which forms the support system of the entire tree. If the roots have a problem, then the tree is dying. The first sign of a dying tree on the roots will be root decay.

How do you identify root decay? A tree with a rotting root system will have multiple mushrooms growing around the tree’s base.

Another sign of tree death in the roots is detached roots. If the roots are separating from the ground and lifting up, then that tree is already dead. Such a tree could fall any minute, and if it is in a place where it could cause damage, it should be removed.

A tree with dead roots will also be shaky and unstable because the roots are not holding it firmly to the ground.

Trees That Look Dead But Aren’t (Common Species That Lose Leaves)

Deciduous trees will have no leaves at all during the winter, but they glow up in the fall with very beautiful foliage. However, some trees might take a while to generate some leaves, which could worry the owners.

It is, therefore, possible for a tree to look dead while it is still alive. Some of the tree species with such characteristics are listed below.

Oak Tree: Oak Tree Without Leaves

There are different types of oak trees where some are deciduous, and others are evergreen. However, even the evergreen ones are not fully evergreen. By using oak tree leaf identification chart, you can identify the type of oak tree to know what to expect when growing it in your landscape.

Another way to know the type of Oak tree you are dealing with is through an Oak tree leaf identification chart. Trees like the Live oak tree will shed their leaves in the Spring as others emerge. That should not make you think that your tree is dying.

However, you can do a few tests to determine whether your tree is still alive. One of them is the close examination of the branches where the old leaves were. If the oak tree is still alive, the branches will have little buds where the new leaves will emerge.

You could also do the scratch test, where you scratch the bark of the tree to see whether the inside is still green.¹ Oak trees are huge trees that live for a long time. There could be other signs that can be mistaken for dying symptoms while they are not. Those include a few dead branches on the tree.

Also, you should not be worried if the oak tree is not leafing out. The tree is probably taking longer than expected, but eventually, it will. However, it is important to check for other sickness signs if the leafing out takes too long.

Willow Tree: No Leaves

Willow tree leaf out quite early but is the last to drop their leaves. That makes them quite easy to tell when they are dying. However, sometimes the trees could take longer to leaf out. That should not worry you much because the growing conditions of each specific tree also affect how fast the tree grows.

Rowan Tree No Leaves

Rowan trees lose their leaves in Autumn as part of their growth cycle. However, there are certain times in the year when you could think the tree is dying. When the leaves on the tree start turning red in July, the tree is under stress but not necessarily dying. The color change could be due to excessive heat or other growing conditions that are not conducive for the tree.

Birch Tree: Why Are My Birch Tree Leaves Falling?

Birch trees are deciduous, so they lose their leaves seasonally. However, excess heat and water loss could also lead to leaf loss.

(Image: Miikka Luotio¹⁰)

Even though those are risky conditions that could affect the plant, losing its leaves does not mean the tree is dying. Birch tree leaves fall mostly in July when the weather is very hot.

Cottonwood Tree: Is Cottonwood Tree Leaf Shedding OK?

Another species likely to lose its leaves and not be dead is the cottonwood tree.

Like most other deciduous trees, cottonwood tree leaf falls between May and July. Therefore, having no leaves should not be a worrying factor for cottonwood tree.

How To Look for Disease Symptoms on a Tree That’s Not Leafing Out

Deciduous trees transition from winter to spring through the emergence of leaves all over the tree which is known as leafing out. The trees are usually dormant in winter, which happens to protect the trees’ water resources during extremely cold months.

The trees lose all their leaves and remain that way until later when the weather is warmer and conducive for leaf growth. However, all tree species do not leaf out at the same time. Some do it early in Spring, while others delay a bit.

Knowing how tree species behave when leafing out is important in helping you determine whether the tree is sick or it is just one of those trees that look dead but aren’t. Below is what to look for on a tree that is taking too long to leaf out to determine its health status.

1. Leaf Discoloration
2. Crumbly Wood
3. Defoliation
4. Dead Branches
5. Root Decay
6. Fungus Spores
7. Bark Abnormalities³

Can I Learn How To Get a Tree To Grow Leaves?

Not leafing out is caused by distress on a tree. If your tree takes too long to leaf out, it is probably because of the lack of good care and maintenance. Therefore, the best way to get a tree to grow leaves is to maintain a good watering, pruning, and feeding schedule.

(Image: nuzree⁹)

You should also ensure that the tree gets enough sunlight and that irrigation is done correctly. When all the growing conditions necessary for that specific tree’s growth are observed, the tree will be healthy enough to follow the right growth patterns and timelines.

Having no leaves on tree does not always mean that a tree is dying. The tree could be undergoing its seasonal transition and taking a while to leaf out. However, it could also be a sign of a dying tree, which is why you should be keen to observe the rest of the tree.

Also, understanding how tree species behave when leafing out or shedding leaves will help you determine whether a tree is dead or just dormant.

No leaves on tree can sometimes be a dormant phase for the tree, so it’s not always an indicator of a problem…it could easily be a sign of growth.

Frequently Asked Questions About No Leaves on Tree