Is my tree dead??

[notactuallylolling]

I am no gardener but given everything has been sprouting like crazy recently and this has not one bit of green I’m a bit worried it is done for.

Any advice appreciated!

For context, my neighbour recently had their garden turfed and in the process set about removing every tree, shrub and root in sight.....could they have damaged this and caused it to die??

Are the branches brittle? Do they snap off easily? Break a thinish branch off and look inside. If it's green it's living. If it's not and if it snaps easily with no bend, then it's dead.

Everything was a bit late in my garden this year because of the weather (London) but your birch should have started growing in April. I suspect it may be dead. FortunesFave's advice is a good test. Are there any buds on the branches?

If your neighbour has been removing roots, that likely killed it. I would also be concerned it is now unstable if they have removed a lot of roots on one side. How deep did they go?

Legally, your neighbour is entitled to cut back roots to the boundary as long as they don't damage or kill the tree or make it unstable. It should have been done by a qualified and insured tree surgeon. If they have killed it, they are responsible for putting the damage right ie removing the tree and replacing it. I would get a tree surgeon in to look at it and advise you.

I strongly suspect that has died tbh.
Birches really should be leafed out by now, it may not be because of your neighbour though.
The tree may have been old or diseased.
I would get a tree surgeon out to take a look and remove if dead as I imagine it will be a safety hazard

Do the branches bend or are they brittle?

I agree. It’s unlikely because of the neighbour, it could jist be very old and it was its time, if it is dead.

Thanks all. The lowest branches are very high up so I couldn’t reach them to check. Suspect I’ll need to call somebody in to have a proper look!

Oh what a shame. We’re Scotland and our birches are in leaf now. I think yours may be dead.

It looks like it’s a really old tree?

I’m not convinced it’s dead. I’d be giving it some more time. Maybe some of its roots got cut and it’s recovering. Sometimes they get a bit of a shock then come back.

@Bluntness100 I’ve no idea how old is but the houses were built in the 50s and it is pretty huge!!! I do hope you are right!

Legally, your neighbour is entitled to cut back roots to the boundary as long as they don't damage or kill the tree or make it unstable. It should have been done by a qualified and insured tree surgeon. The advice that it should be done by an arboriculturalist (they don't like being called tree surgeons) isn't a legal requirement unless the tree has a Tree Protection Order on it. Less likely for a birch which aren't long lived trees (50-70 years).

I didn't say it was a legal requirement to use a tree surgeon, just that it should have been done by one, as in the the correct thing to do. You don't want an unskilled labourer digging up roots any more than you would want them lopping off branches willy nilly on a mature tree.

I'm sure arboriculturists don't like being called tree surgeons because they aren't the same thing. Arboriculturists are qualified in tree management, diagnosing disease etc whereas tree surgeons are highly skilled and knowledgeable in doing the actual physical work like removing roots, although someone could be both.