How to Perform A Scratch Test on Trees & Woody Shrubs
- Feb 6
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 12
By the Green Dynamix Team | February 06, 2026
Reliable Viability Check for Customers & Crews
The scratch test is the fastest way to determine whether a tree or woody shrub is alive after a hard freeze.
How to Perform It:
Use your fingernail or a small blade to gently scratch away a thin layer of bark.
Look at the cambium layer beneath:
Green & moist → the plant is alive
Brown/gray & dry → the tissue is dead
Test multiple points:
• Near tip of the branch
• Mid-branch
• Main trunk
For trees and woody ornamentals, scratch the bark and inspect the cambium layer. If it's green and moist, it's viable and alive. If it's brown/gray and dry, that is dead tissue. Test along different points of the branch and main trunk to determine whether damage is minor tip dieback or if it extends several inches down. We recommend using this method starting 4–6 weeks post‑freeze or transplant and reassessing 6–8 weeks before making final removal and replacement decisions.
How To Interpret the Results of Your Scratch Test:
Green at branch tips: Damage is cosmetic only.
Green only to middle branch: Tip dieback; prune once warm.
Dead several inches down: Significant freeze damage; monitor for 4–8 weeks.
Dead down to the trunk or crown softness: Likely non-recoverable.
Best Tree & Shrub Materials to Apply This To:
Crape Myrtles
Loquats
Olives
Magnolias
Elms
River Birch
Cedars
Oaks
Gardenias
Loropetalums
Viburnum
Hollies
Camellias
And other trees and woody shrubs or ornamentals
When to Perform a Scratch Test:
First test: 3–4 weeks after freeze
Follow-up: 6–8 weeks
Final determination: Spring leaf-out (deciduous species)
Working on spring landscape enhancement projects for a commercial or residential client?
Professional landscapers in the southeast region can order all of the trees and shrubs listed above by choosing Green Dynamix as their trusted supply partner. Have your entire project's plant list delivered directly to your job site anywhere in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
With over 30 years in the business as a wholesale plant nursery and a landscape logistics leader for commercial landscapers and crews, you can trust our team to get your project's materials right the first time.
From ground covers, grasses, ornamentals, and shrubs to trees and palms — we’ll consolidate everything and put it on one truck for you.
Call the Green Dynamix Team at 386-754-0161.
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