Hicks Yew Winter Burn: Can It Regenerate?

A zone 3 gardener's Hicks yew suffered extreme browning from winter sun/wind two years ago. Only the snow-protected base remained green. They asked if bare branches would regrow.

The expert advised scraping bark to check for green tissue. If green, wait for possible sprouting; yews sometimes regenerate. If brown all the way to trunk, prune dead wood and let the base regrow into a new shape. Fertilize to encourage growth.

Check & Decide

1. Scrape bark at intervals from tip to trunk.
2. Green = alive; wait for buds.
3. Brown to trunk = dead; prune it out.
4. Fertilize remaining live growth.