Pansy Redbud - is it dead?

[ryancher]

My husband and I planted a Pansy Redbud in our backyard last July. It did great last year through the transplant and even managed to survive the winter. In the early spring, little pink flowers started to appear. DH has always thought he had a green thumb and tried to take care of the tree. Well about a week or two ago, the flowers and little leaves started to dry and curl up. There appears to be little strings of white - almost like cotton balls on the dried flowers/leaves. I don't understand how one week the tree could be doing amazing and the next it be dying. Personally, I think my husband may have watered it far too much. That's the only thing I can think of. And he does admit to watering it lots! Yikes!

My question... is there any way to reverse this? I'd hate to lose the tree as it was so beautiful. Is there any way to dry it up (if that is the problem). Unfortuantely today was a very rainy day which probably didn't help the situation. HELP!!! Any suggestions?

 

[stihlatit]

Its not dying that is the normal cycle of the flower. Now you will get little berrys. The flowers only last 2 to 5 days.

 

[ryancher]

I didn't think it got berries? The phamplet says little pink flowers & then purple leaves.

Anyways, shouldn't there be leaves appearing by now? It's almost June? There were little purple leaves appearing but they have since then dried up - along with the flowers.

 

[stihlatit]

I may not have the same tree in mind. Does your tree look like this.

 

[ryancher]

I'm not sure. Ours is much smaller. We just planted it last year. We haven't really got that many leaves/flowers on ours yet. It's hard to tell.

I'm just not sure if my husband has rotted the roots from overwatering or if there is a disease (that white cotton like substance around the flowers/leaves makes me wonder). I'm just afraid our tree is dead.

 

[stihlatit]

Mine form round seed pods about three eights of an inch in diameter. They form in a cluster of about 4 to 5 pods. The pods are a dark red. Closeup of flowers are below.

 

[stihlatit]

A good website below on different species.

http://davesgarden.com/pf/adv_search.php?searcher[common]=&searcher[family]=Caesalpiniaceae&searcher[genus]=Cercis&searcher[species]=canadensis&searcher[cultivar]=&searcher[hybridizer]=&Search=Search

 

[ryancher]

That indeed looks like the tree we have... except of course ours is much smaller. It's only the 2nd season in growth.

I looked again this morning, and still no leaves. The flowers & whatever leaves had appeared dried & curled up last week and so far nothing else has happened. The tree is as bare as in the winter. Could it be dead? I'll try to post a picture.

I understand that it only needs a bit of water - I've already got that! The problem is, can I reverse any water damage it has received???

 

[Tree Wizard]

Redbuds can be finicky in the northern climes. Stihlatit's tree looks like a crabapple to me. In our area (SE Wisconsin) the first couple of years of a redbud's transplant life is crucial. I have one that has been in for five years now and at this time the leaves are about half size. The first year it flowered and then nothing for a long time and then leafed out about 50%. Even now I have to prune deadwood out of it every year. The secret to viable redbuds in the north is to have them come from a northern seed source. Even those can take a hit from below zero temps.

 

[stihlatit]

Redbuds can be finicky in the northern climes. Stihlatit's tree looks like a crabapple to me. In our area (SE Wisconsin) the first couple of years of a redbud's transplant life is crucial. I have one that has been in for five years now and at this time the leaves are about half size. The first year it flowered and then nothing for a long time and then leafed out about 50%. Even now I have to prune deadwood out of it every year. The secret to viable redbuds in the north is to have them come from a northern seed source. Even those can take a from below zero temps.

I think your right on the crabapple Tree Wizard.

 

[stihlatit]

Hey Tree Wizard thanks. I always thought that this was a redbud but it is actually a flowering crab. The flowers are very similar. A picture below.