Is my Berberis Dead?

Frank99

Planted this out in March and it was doing ok but has gone brown since the hotter weather despite watering.

It looks dead to me but not sure if i should wait a bit longer before taking out.

sheramber

I have learned through experience to leave plants alone for a year when they look dead.

Although the top looks dead the roots may still survive and will rejuvenate underground  through time.

But it can take a year before top growth shows so if it is in place you can leave it then it is worth a try.

twopenny

Use your thumbnail and gently scrape a tiny bit of the bark.
If it's green underneath it's alive. 
If it's brown it's died.
I'm having the same problem, shrubs planted this spring and some older ones are struggling. I'm hoping they are loosing their leaves to preserve moisture.
It helps if you can use water that has been left to stand a couple of days for the chemicals to evaporate. When the soil gets this dry undiluted chlorine can be worse than no water.
But any which way I'd leave it until there's a good downpour and if it's going to recover you will see new leaves appear in a couple of weeks.

Katiehound

I have quite  a few things that look like that, after all I was away for 5 weeks so they scorched! I have cut them back considerably  and have been watering as we have had only teeny amounts of rain. I certainly wouldn't pull it out.

Woolsery

 Could it be pining for the fjords?

Farway

Woolsery said:

 Could it be pining for the fjords?

It's merely resting