dying weeping cherry tree

Question

This year it did not bloom. The top part of the tree looks dead but it has suckers growing out of the bottom of the trunk which have green leaves. Is it a lost cause? Should I move it? It is planted at the corner of my house. Last year I did remove a small tent caterpillar nest with soapy water. Would that have killed it? It has not shown any other signs of disease and has bloomed beautifully every spring prior to this year.

Answer 1

If the only growth you are seeing is at the base, then it may be that it is a lost cause. Check the upper branches. If they are still pliable, then the tree may still recover. But if they are brittle, the tree’s upper half is dead and will never regain its shape.

It would be hard to say what killed it. The tent worms likely weakened it, but they rarely kill a tree. It may have been that in a weakened state, the tree just could not cope with winter conditions (especially if you had a cold winter) or there may have been too much water in the soil or a disease or just a multitude of other issues that may have killed it.