They are quite difficult to second guess. They can leaf out but not right a way; they can take several weeks to over a month so, if they bother you, prune them in 1" or 2" increments until you get to the bottom or until you see green.

No, they don't bother me a bit, in fact, they will add some additional winter interest. If I understand you correctly Luis, there's no harm in leaving them then whether alive or dead? Thank you for your help!

Not exactly, I just meant that it is difficult to guess if they are alive or dead by simply looking. In your case, where the leaves dried out due to transplant shock, the stems may not leaf out quickly so it is usually wise to wait a while, say a month or so before pruning the stems in one or two inch increments to see if they are still alive.

It is always good to prune away dead or damaged stems because they can attract pest and diseases. The ones that are damaged can allow disease to enter through the point of injury.

In the fall, many live stems go dormant and get that dried out look which gives winter interest. It is ok to keep those thru Spring or late May to see if they leaf out.

Gotcha! We're just going on a month since transplant, so I'll work on those stems next weekend.

Heartfelt thanks for your assistance!

Hi Lavenderiver ~ In 2009 I relocated a 20 y/o Nikko Mac ~ interestingly in the tangled mess of the root system I was able to separate a few individual plants & cared for them in lg nursery pots, kept 1 & eventually shared others w/ friends (grown & blooming now!!!) I left the dried canes ~ they are excellent support as well, should young stems shoot up from the base. As long as it doesn't bother you ~ just water & forget about her for now ~ she may just bounce out of the shock of the move!!!

In case yuo'd be interested to read, the tread title is:
*20 year old nikko (never) blue finally moved!*

FWIW & best wishes!!!

Thank you for the reassurance and best wishes ditas! I'm so glad you had a successful transplant and I'll check out your thread!