Is half the tree is dead and the other half looks fine an emergency?
Not urgent. A directional signal, not a diagnosis. Because a tree's vascular system is sectored — water and sugars move in vertical strips rather than mixing freely around the trunk — a dead sector usually points straight down at its own cause. The dead half is telling you which side of the root system, root flare or trunk to go inspect.
What changes while you wait
Watch, and measure rather than worry. The number that matters is whether the dead portion is larger this spring than last — photograph it from the same spot each year. Holding steady across two or three seasons means the injury is finished and the tree is compensating. Visibly expanding each year means active decline and a closing window. Independent of that verdict, the already-dead limbs will keep breaking loose and becoming hangers, so they should come out on their own schedule.
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