Hawthorn – Still Viable?

Q: For sentimental reasons, a dear friend of mine doesn’t want to part with an old Indian hawthorn. Because there are still a handful of green leaves scattered on top, he is encouraged that it can be saved. Any advice?

A: Use a razor knife to gently scrape the bark off randomly selected limbs. If there is green tissue beneath the bark, the plant could send up buds nearby. If you only find brown tissue, prune out that limb. Repeat until you get a sense of what’s viable.