if that is the whole tree.. it is dead ... if its only one branch ... the branch is dead.. and we would need to see the rest of the tree ... and if you want us to speculate why it died... we need pix of the whole .... and any additional facts that might help.. e.g. its a recent transplant ... [of which i expect dan's default #1] ken

I have Paul's Himalayan Musk Climber on his way up a mulberry tree at the end of the driveway by the garage. He shows the ability to have this tree completely swallowed in a few years ... it's the look I'm after, fortunately. American Pillar is planted on the fence by the Rose Field, and I intend to encourage it to take over a cedar tree. I haven't been too successful, yet, because the canes keep getting blown out of the tree. This rose is WAY to vigorous for a crabapple tree, IMO. How about Gardenia? It blooms once, but it lives to climb trees. It will scale your tree and spill out the other side, with pale yellow-fading-to-white flowers in clusters. Beautiful. Some opinions of the others that have already been mentioned, since I'm in your area: Madame Alfred Carriere tends to grow straight up around here, then form an 'afro' on top. May be a possibility, but it doesn't 'hang' very well. Susan Louise probably won't survive here. I want this rose very, very badly ... but it's probably too tender. Mermaid? Way, way too vigorous once it gets going. Alberic Barbier, though once blooming, is a wonderful rose. The canes are very flexible, so it would hang nicely off a tree. It will go 15' in a season, easy. A possible deterrant ... the wichuriana ramblers make lots of basal canes, which would need to be trained up the tree every year. My AB made at least 12 new canes this year ... no lie. The multiflora ramblers may be a better choice, if you are considering once-blooming roses. Veilchenblau is my favorite of these. I don't grow it, yet, but it will stop traffic at Robert's house when it's in bloom in his holly tree. or Tausenschoen? For re-bloomers, maybe one of the hardier tea-noisettes ... Reve d'Or or Lamarque, perhaps? Photos? You asked. Alberic Barbier Leontine Gervais (another beautiful, stringy Wichuriana rambler) Paul Transon (wichuriana) Gardenia Veilchenblau That should be enough for this morning. As you can see, depending on the effect you're after, the choices are practically endless. Just avoid the really tender ones. HTH, Connie

How about other trees in the same height category: paperbark maple Acer griseum corkscrew willow 'twisty baby' locust Redbud.....maybe a great native choice for you!!! or slower growing trees with outstanding foliage like some beech cultivars... 'roseomarginata' or some wonderful conifers that put on unbelievable spring shows like: Pinus contorta 'taylors sunburst' 3-4 WEEKS!!!of yellow new growth. See Photo. I could go on forever... red leaf japanese maple...bloodgood, atropurpureum, emperor(supposed to be the hardiest of all, emperor I or II) the debate with crabapples will always be...ARE THE WONDERFUL FLOWERS WORTH THE TROUBLE OF THE UNATTRACTIVE DISEASE RIDDEN FOLIAGE...AND IS ANYTHING WORTH SPRAYING IN MY GARDEN TO CONTROL DISEASE?...my honest opinion, there's plenty of wonderful plants that have outstanding characteristics that NEVER need to be sprayed. Blacklab Here is a link that might be useful:

What a gorgeous picture! That one is worth framing. I've seen male cardinals feed females plenty of times. I read that it's called "Mate Feeding". Found this on the web: History of Mate Feeding "Mate feeding" is actually a common occurrence in bird species. Raptors, such as the European Kestrel, as well as songbirds practice this ritual. In cardinals, it is seen both before mating and while the female is incubating her clutch of eggs. No one knows for sure why this ritual takes place, but there are several schools of thought. Mate Feeding As Ritual When mate feeding occurs prior to egg-laying, it's possible that the extra nutrition helps the female when it's time to lay her eggs. Another theory is that it may increase the likelihood that the female will mate with the male--a form of courtship. Females may also judge the parenting ability of the prospective mate by how well he provides for her. Mate Feeding After Egg-Laying When mate feeding happens during the incubation period, it may also serve to help with pair-bonding. This can be important to keep the pair together during the short breeding season. Additionally, it may allow the female to remain on the eggs longer than if she had to constantly forage for food.