Just check if it has all the characteristics of life.
1. Is it made of cells?
2. Does it metabolize?
3. Does it keep internal conditions stable? (Homeostasis)
4. Does it have organs?
5. Can it reproduce?
6. Does it grow/develope?
7. And does it respond to stimuli (poke a bug, it moves. flower grows towards the sun.)
If all of these are Yes, your specimen is in fact, living.
Explanation:
In biology, homeostasis is the state of steady internal, physical, and chemical conditions maintained by living systems.This is the condition of optimal functioning for the organism and includes many variables, such as body temperature and fluid balance, being kept within certain pre-set limits (homeostatic range). Other variables include the pH of extracellular fluid, the concentrations of sodium, potassium and calcium ions, as well as that of the blood sugar level, and these need to be regulated despite changes in the environment, diet, or level of activity. Each of these variables is controlled by one or more regulators or homeostatic mechanisms, which together maintain life.
The roots of the trees keeps the soil in place