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Old White Birch Top Dieback After Frost: Assess, Prune, or Replace

Scratch Test

Top-down: green = alive, brown = dead. Dead top won't resprout.

Options

If enough canopy remains: prune dead top, train side branch as leader.
If mostly dead: remove and replant (river birch more heat-tolerant).

Reality

20-year paper birch in landscape is near end of lifespan. Frost accelerated decline.

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