Will a dead looking Canadian hemlock tree come back to life with proper care?

Answer 1

I suppose it depends on how "dead looking" it is. A landscaper told me once about this little trick to see if a tree is still alive. Select a small branch and scratch it with your fingernail. If the material under the bark is green, your tree is alive. If not. . .well, best to pull it up. We did have a Canadian Hemlock tree "come back" from looking very a little dead, but it took several years. We decided the problem was that it was not getting enough water. These trees like cool, moist conditions, and one side of our garden (where the hemlocks were growing well) was getting tons more water due to our neighbor's sump pump frequently discharging water from their seepy basement--a blessing in disguise. When we started providing "tons" of water to our other hemlock, it started growing and is now doing quite well. These trees are slow-growers, so don't look for a quick change--give it a couple of years.