Hardiness zone-wise, the Eastern Redbud should do fine in Front Range area, but of course other things than zone come into play here in Colorado. Like tommysmom, I'm in the Denver metro area, so I am not sure this will help you... Two of our neighbors (across the street from our house) have redbuds in their yards; they are mature trees and thrive year after year with a wonderful display of flowers in the early spring. I, however, haven't had much luck with them in my yard. One that I purchased did OK for a few years but then split in half one winter and died. I have had several "volunteers" that showed up in my yard - seeds from my neighbors' trees obviously - but most of them have died, not making it through their first winter. I do have a couple of seedlings (about 3 or 4 ft high) that seem to be OK this spring - one even has about 3 flower clusters on it, lol - so perhaps my luck has changed, but I am not counting on it! It could be that the trees need some extra protection from the cold and wind during their first year or so here in Colorado, which I have not provided. Perhaps they need tree wrap, extra mulch, or.... The blooms of the Eastern Redbuds are beautiful and I really like the leaves as well, so I would love to have one that survives. karljr - if no one from Colorado Springs responds, you can always check with a reputable nursery in your area and see what they recommend. Holly

I manipulate growth pattern all the time w/plumeria and brugmansias. If you don't, you may have ugly trees that don't usually "fix" themselves. You remove the stakes eventually, it's not meant to be there forever. Yes I've had a few instances In which it was questionable whether I helped tree but few and far between. Deciduous magnolias, jap maples, redbuds benefitted from my helping along w/ a stake and or splints.

In general you want to do mutiple cutting attempts as success with cuttings is never 100%. The following is the preferred method of propagating redbuds from cuttings: "Take the cutting when the tree has finished blooming and the leaves have opened. (Softwood cuttings) When taking the cutting, only pick branches that are about ¼ in diameter and 4 to 6 inches long. Take the cutting slightly below a leaf node. Place the cutting(s) in a glass of water while you are completing the next step, which is the soil preparation. To prepare the soil, one will make a planting medium that is one-half peat moss and one-half sand. Stir to completely mix and then place in several 6-inch pots. Add water to the pots. To keep the peat moss from floating away, push down on the soil surface. Once the planting medium has been prepared, remove the cuttings from the water and remove any leaves along the stem making sure that you have at least 2 sets of leaves on top of the stem. Next, dip the end of the cutting in rooting hormone. Push the treated cutting into one of the prepared 6 inch pots. Repeat the process with each cutting. Place each cutting in a clear, plastic bag and mist with water. Tie the bag off and place the cutting(s) in a location that is kept around 70 degree Fahrenheit. Monitor the soil moisture and add accordingly. In about 4 weeks, check to see if your cutting has rooted. To do this, simply open up the plastic bag and take a little tug on the cutting. If you feel a little resistance, the cutting is rooted. If not, close the bag up and wait a few more weeks. Once rooted, plant your redbud cutting in a 10 inch pot that is filled with garden soil. Place in light shade and monitor the soil moisture. Redbud trees need about 1-inch of rain a week. Continue to grow in the pots until the cutting is 1 year old. After that time period, introduce your tree to its new location slowly. This is done by gradually exposing the tree to its new environment. This introduction should take about 2 weeks. Once the introduction is complete, the tree is ready to plant." Just an aside, but the timing is pretty critical. If the cutting is not taken from the parent tree at the proper stage of growth, you are very unlikely to be successful.

Looks like a combination of root girdling and sun scald. Clues to root girdling are the abnormal trunk flare and surface level roots. If you brush away the mulch, you might find the roots are encircling the tree, rather than growing laterally. It's usually a transplanting issue. Sun scald damage is preventable by wrapping trees over winter from the lowest branches downward. Tree guards can also prevent young trees from potential wildlife damage.