What your friend was most likely referring to was painting the tree with a 1:1 mixture of water and water-based indoor latex paint. This is what I use to paint the tree trunk and branches.

A dead tree will eventually fall, so if that’s what you have, call a tree company ASAP to 1.) confirm the tree is dead, and 2.) remove it if it is. Dead trees don’t miraculously come back to life.

Scientists found brown, gray lizards with “long” heads on tree trunks & discovered new species: Crown Island four-clawed gecko, study said.