There's no need to give up. First of all, the plant can be pruned. Look up windswept style bonsai for how this tree could look like. It will also force new branches to come up. In a way, if a disaster had to strike, it's better for that to have happened now when the plant is dormant.

so here's a suggestion. Remove the lower and straight branches. Retain the curvier branches. Remove some of the twigs. use a block of wood to prevent the tree from falling down altogether. Although the tree will fruit, try to remove most of the fruits so the tree will use its energy to recover fully. Watch out of any cracks that could allow disease and pests to enter the tree. I probably wont use any regular fertilizers for the time being. (not until later in the season) You don't want the tree to produce that much flowers and fruits. Perhaps a good dose of composted manure will help.

Oh, I am sorry. Last year my peach tree for the first time was just loaded..........heavy winds; split it in half. I left the other half standing, but don't know if it will even leaf out this year.

Hope you can save yours if you want to try.

Oh what a sorry site, I can undertand how you would be distraught. We had those same incredible winds it was a terrible storm. Good luck deciding how to deal with that.

Thank you everyone for the encouragement and tips. This shrub first toppled in tornado like winds maybe four years ago already? I forget. Each time, I pushed it upright and had it staked for a couple of years and thought the roots were taking hold. Bam. Winds got it again. So, I did prune one large awkward limb off and also some branches. New growth started almost at once, it's a very stubborn shrub. Then I got the bright idea to put that very large rock under it thinking what can it hurt now? It will last the summer. Well, it lasted all last winter and summer like that. Here's the weird thing. It only has two big lateral roots running out from the sides and one big one deep in the ground in front. Hard to explain, but amazing that it grows like that.

Ianna, I will take your advice.

It is a tough tree that can survive that twice! I am sorry it had to happen though. Last year I had to cut down an old apple tree that I was fond of. I will miss seeing the flowers this spring.
I am not much of a tree expert or anything, but could you maybe put up a high retaining wall around the tree? Would that help to keep the base sturdy? I know you are great with stonework...
CMK

ooooo christinmk - what a enticing idea! I'll have to think on that one.

I'm glad you aren't giving up. If you have to set it upright once again, I'd say, do this very carefully. It's the deep roots that saving this tree and you can risk doing more damage to the roots by setting it upright and so be careful. I had thought that perhaps you could leave it in that position, secured and staked, and you could lessen the number of branches. However of course you could try to set it upright once again -- carefully. Because this tree is prone to being toppled over, the problem lies in it's crown and it's roots. See if you can get metal pins to secure the roots in place. Perhaps permanently setting a metal stake to secure the tree too. Remove many interbranchings so the wind breezes through. The more drag the wind causes the more likely the tree could topple down again. Each time this happens, minor cracks become big cracks. When the tree finally leafs out, observe it through spring and early summer. There might be branches that will die off and when that happens, expect that it's probably systemic. Just cut those off. Hopefully new branches will come up in replacement.

In my opinion, retention walls won't help unless you know wind directions and those wind directions are constant. However note that if there are surrounding tall structures such as houses and walls, winds can swish about ala a canyon wind effect becoming stronger and causing severe damage.

Ianna

In Europe, it is amazing the lengths they will go to save a beloved tree. I saw the tree that Hippocrates taught under last fall - it is surrounded by a huge support system. Several years before, I went to the Tivoli Gardens outside of Rome, and they had supports under several 500-year-old cedars. The same at Kew Gardens. I say if it is special, then you should so what you can to keep these trees.

Nancy.

I've raised it up quite a few times, and yes, I hear a crunch or two sometimes. Last Spring was the first time I noticed smaller leaves obviously stress-related. But it had plenty of berries. That's when I put the rock there and said, what the heck I'll give it a try and worse comes to worse I'll take it down. Just to make it clear, this Serviceberry has been toppled not just once or twice. Like I said, I had it staked well for two years, but during a strong thunderstorm one of the cables broke. I will try staking again and take off some height.

Ianna, yes a vortex. I suspected that I have created this situation out of ignorance after reading an article on walled gardens. It stated that even a garden surrounded by tall hedge can cause winds to play havoc with trees and shrubs inside. That's what I have - tall privet hedge that I used to keep sheared to about 6' but it got to be a real chore so I grew lax and the hedge is way higher now.

Schoolhouse, I'm so sorry this happened. It happened to a Methley plum I had at my old house and the plum died. With that said, I have one of the most beautiful live oak trees in my yard that about 50 years ago was toppled by the wind or a tornado.

No one did anything for this tree and it grew on the ground this way, for years. Now, it's trunk is about 3 feet in diameter. It has approximately an 8 ft span of trunk that grows on the ground and then the trunk goes up in the air to make a canopy. It is so cool and it's one of the main reasons we bought this lot. Apparently, many, many people in the neighborhood enjoyed this tree too. About three people, maybe four, can sit on its trunk easily.

Besides this tree, I have a Cenizo planted 9 years ago that has the loveliest twisted-by-the-wind branches. It's just beautiful. The wind can do awful things to plants, but it can also craft things of beauty.

Good luck! I hope the tree survives.

Oh poor tree!
Good luck Schoolhouse!

Patti

How sad.
My SIL used to have some sort of tree that got whipped by the wind. She finally discoved it was the location. When the wind came in from the south/east it whirled around the inside of the corner made by the house and garage.

So sorry to see your poor tree after wind attack number two. I hope whatever you decide to do will be successful. The tree certainly seems to be a survivor with all it has been through. Good luck.

I noticed yesterday that the ground is very saturated at the base of this shrub. Very saturated. Obviously drainage has become a big issue here.

If I could find another Serviceberry of a reasonable height and nice shape, I would start over.

It's a service berry! I love that kind of tree. I have it in my backyard. They will do well in that wettish conditions,though. It was obviously thriving before the wind knocked it down. In anycase, if it doesn't survive this one, you will surely be able to find a replacement. They do grow fast and so I'm sure your yard will recover in no time.

Ianna

This particular serviceberry is the shrub form. I have two others that were pruned to tree form (single trunk). It falls frequently since the first episode four years ago. Yes,they are fast growers.

I meant that the shrub falls, not the trees.