In a message dated 3/20/2003 11:41:25 AM Mountain Standard Time,
writes:

i have an eastern red cedar i planted in my yard last
year and i was gonna use it for bonsai in a couple of
years. here's the question:
does brown foliage on this tree mean its dead?
i used my fingernail to scrape away a tiny peice if bark
and found that underneath it is still green. BUT i have
heard that junipers die from the roots up. should i worry?


I have one (count 'em: one) Juniperus virginiana so I'm no expert. For that
you'll have to turn to Nina or Anita, but, FWIW, mine always gets
purplish/silver foliage during the winter that panicked me the first time I
saw it. To my great relief, spring time always returns it to a lovely green.
As to brown, how brown are we talking here? Is it outside? I'd leave it
alone until later spring and determine at that time which branches have
survived and which haven't. I've learned not to jump the gun as apparently
dead branches can bud out later.

Good luck,
Daniel Avrin
I fought the lawn and the lawn won.

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