Ask Burton: Q: I have a mature live oak tree in my yard which was damaged during the February snowstorm. Most of the live oaks in my neighborhood have sprouted out green again already, but mine remains stubbornly brown and dead-looking. Also, my parents have an old Arizona ash that hasn’t leafed out. Are our trees dead, or is there hope?

A: As far as the live oak goes, it’s not hopeless yet. Every day I drive in to work, I see another live oak which had been burned and dead-looking starting to sprout out green. There’s not much you can do to assist the process, other than the normal fertilization you should do for your trees each spring. Some trees may well have died due to the terrible freeze, but live oaks are tough plants. Give them more time.

As for the ash trees, we’ve seen loads of them not yet leafing out, or struggling to put out a few leaves on lower branches. Chances are low for recovery, but it’s still possible.

Fertilize your trees normally and wait one more month. When June rolls around, any trees which haven’t yet begun to recover probably won’t. The same goes for palms.