dieback

Etymology
.

Noun

 * 1)  The browning and death of a plant shoot starting at the tip, due to either disease or climate conditions.
 * 2)  The withering of a plant, especially the cyclical withering in autumn and winter; distal parts die off but core parts stay alive (and semidormant or dormant).
 * 1)  The withering of a plant, especially the cyclical withering in autumn and winter; distal parts die off but core parts stay alive (and semidormant or dormant).