By Slushpot007
United Kingdom 
I bought a magnolia last year, it was in flower, stands at about 4' tall. This is its first spring since and I have no leaves or flowers on it?...nothing ... just the brown (dead wood) spindles? is it dead? or should I wait to see wot it does next year??
17 Apr, 2010
Answers
try scraping a little bit of bark off with your nail, if it is green below that it is alive if it is brown that bit is dead, try a little lower down the stem. repeat until you know if it is dead or not.
17 Apr, 2010
tried your advice guys and all of the twigs on it are brittle and not green! thinks its dead as a dodo!
I have taken it out and put it in a pot, hoping for a miracle next year....wot do you think? it aint gonna happen is it?
Thank you so much anyways :(
18 Apr, 2010
Hi, we did have a very bad winter. If you gently try and break the twigs do they give, i.e. snap or do they spring a little? If they appear more bouncy it should be ok. If the branches snap easily and are brown inside then try a little lower, very gently mind you. Hope this makes sense!
17 Apr, 2010