plants

Check to see whether the plant is carrying out any activities like increase in size, flowering, fruiting, etc. Also check the color of the leaves or branches of the plant to see if it is green. If the branches appear non-green, the bark can be scratched to determine the color of the underlying tissue. If the cambium below the bark remains green, the tissue is alive; if brown or black, it likely is dead. This checking can be continued on to larger twigs, stems and branches.