Weeping cherry blossoms damaged this spring

Question

We live in SW Idaho, and I have an 8 year old weeping cherry that has always been very hearty and healthy. It’s a gorgeous tree, but sadly I’m worried that a sudden spring cold snap may have damaged or even killed it. Just as the blossom buds had formed, we had a cold snap. It didn’t blossom this year and only has leaves on some branches in the back, top and sides. It’s in a relatively protected space, but the front is the most exposed and that part appears lifeless. I’ve had one tree person tell me it’s dead, and that the growth I see now is all it will ever have, but that was over the phone; he hasn’t seen it. I love this tree so I don’t want to take it out unless I’m sure it’s really gone. Some of the newer long branches do appear dead, but the larger ones appear to still be alive. My hope is that maybe it just needs time. Perhaps, we can prune it all back this year and hope it will fill in again next year.

Answer 1

There is an easy way to tell if the branches are still living. Simply bend the branches. Dead branches will snap, live branches will bend. If the branches bend, they may still grow their leaves, maybe even as late as next year. But if they break, they are dead and the breakable areas on the branches should be pruned out.