It sounds like you may have made a mistake by placing the trees in your basement. Most trees hardy to your climate need a sufficient period of dormancy to survive. How long have they been there and how were they handled prior to that? How long have they been dormant? Is your basement underground or more exposed so that it experiences lower temperatures?

From your description, it sounds like your dogwood is dead.

In addition to that, it also looks like you made another newbie mistake and purchased a mimosa. The good news is it's a mistake that didn't completely happen yet. And if you bought it from a home improvement store (thats normally who sells mimosas), then you can typically return or exchange plants there without any questions if you have the receipt. Mimosas are on the do-not-plant lists for every zone 7 in north america that I am aware of.

Brandon, the Cypress was dormant all winter in my basement. I stuck it in a pot a few weeks ago. The Mimosa arrived a few weeks ago potted, with no buds. They shipped it a little earlier than I would have liked. It's started to bud.

When I looked at the Dogwood after the snow melted, I assumed it was dead. But the weird thing is that it appears to be budding out.

Iforgot, I didn't make a 'Newbie mistake', but thank you for assuming. Also, Home Improvement stores do not generally sell Chocolate Mimosas. Finally, besides Mimosa, I have lots of buddleia, I throw Snakeheads in the river, I'm overweight and I drink too much. Wanna lecture me?

Just kidding about the Snakeheads...

If you already know all of the answers, then why bother posting a question at all?

Whoa there!!! Maybe you misread something that Artworksmetal wrote, but he/she didn't say anything about knowing all the answers. Buying a Chocolate Mimosa is not a newbie mistake. The University of Tennessee Botanical Garden bought one recently. And, maybe they do sell 'em at the big box stores, somewhere, but I've never seen them there. Would I buy one...probably not, but then again, maybe, if I really got the urge. I did plant some buddleias recently (shhh, don't tell anyone). Albizia julibrissin is an invasive species, but planting one tree in an area already well populated with them is similar to adding a cup of water to the ocean - not a punishable offense.

Artworksmetal, it's hard to say for sure about what you should do with your trees at this point. If the basement is insulated or underground and stays relatively warmer, and, your trees have truly started breaking dormancy, then putting them outside for good (or planting them) at this point might kill them. You could however keep them outside and watch closely for really cold weather. If they aren't too far along, you might be OK with planting them outside now. It's hard to say for sure without more specifics.

The purple > brown silk tree is a hundred dollar item. Probably not typical big box material.

Western USDA 7 is not likely to see silk trees popping up like they do back East.

If the trees are budding out now and outdoor weather is not suitable then they will have to be kept under cover until it is.

Such items should be held in a cool, bright greenhouse or similar environment where they will get plenty of light and humidity.

Overwintering temperate climate trees in a basement...
Hmmmmm.
Where on Earth would I get the notion this was a newbie?

As for the Mimosas, the only places I've seen those are at home depot, TyTy farms and the sleaziest of sleazebucket nurseries. It's a tree with brown leaves! It was an inside joke by the people who introduced it! And buying it, even in a location where it isn't a weed means more will be ordered and more will be shipped to areas it is a weed. Nevermind the weediness for a sec, they are disease prone, shortlive, inhibit growth of desirebable plants and did I mention this cultivar has brown leaves? If you're going to plant a tree, at least plant one that doesn't look dead.

Maybe we should all back off a bit. Problems with silk trees - and there are some - especially with invasive tendencies, are location-dependent. As bboy notes, if the OP is located on the west coast in zone 7, it is NOT considered invasive and they are frequently planted. And albizias can be very long-lived - it is a matter of right plant, right place. To uniformly trash a tree just because it is problematic in certain areas is somewhat excessive and extreme.

Although Albizia 'Summer Chocolate' is a bit tricky to get established, it is a lovely tree for those that appreciate its form and color. "Looking dead" is a matter of opinion - do similiarly colored Japanese maples look dead? Ditto ninebarks? And a great many very reputable nurseries sell this plant, which does tend to have a pretty hefty price tag. As to being an "inside joke", maybe you'd like to share your knowledge of that because it is certainly not well known in professional horticultural circles.

And maybe the OP has an unheated basement. We all know what making 'ass-umptions' mean :-)

artworksmetal, you do not need to wait for last frost before planting these trees but you should acclimate them from indoors to outdoors before planting. I'd have less concern about moving the cypress outside directly, but moving these outdoors during the day and then bringing them back in at night for a week or two and then gradually extending their stay outdoors until it is round the clock should work well.

'Summer Chocolate' was being sold at the Atlanta area Home Depot stores in 2008 and 2009.

Thank you Brandon, for defending me and trying to answer my questions. That comment was so out of left field I was speechless.
Thank you Gardengal, for your detailed answer as well. I will try that.
Iforgot, your little eighth notes and smiley face don't seem to match your temperament. We all get it. You don't like Mimosas.
I will plant one on your behalf.

This cultivar is known to be quite susceptible to the Mimosa vascular wilt disease, caused by Fusarium oxysporum somethingorother. Maybe not a problem where you're from but it's the primary 'control' against mimosa in much of the territory the tree has been introduced to.

Planting a mimosa isn't going to get even with me. It's just going to create an expensive problem for you. Go ahead and learn the hard way, you're rude and you're exactly the person a brown leaved mimosa was designed for.

I do apologize for the comment ArtWorks and good luck with the trees. Personally I have no problem with the Mimosas that pop up around here -their shape and flowers are quite nice.

i have a mimosa tree that has flowered perfectly over a number of years.this year we have had a particular severe winter.the leaves have shrivled and turned brown. will it recover or has it died.

iforgotitsonevermind is the rude one. Ignore him, he trolls anyone who likes mimosas.

: )

When you received the bald cypress, had it gone through a full dormancy period? I ask this because if it is starting to bud out now, you can just probably pot it up and put it in a window. I have done this before and it all worked out.. I bought a dawn redwood a while back in the winter, and the company sent the tree in the middle of winter, instead of the end... So I just potted it up and put it in a window with southern exposure. Mine was sent to me dormant, and eventually started to bud and leaf out.. then when it was warm enough I brought it outside and planted it.. and it still stands today 2 years later. I am not an expert, but I believe this method should work..
Don't know much about mimosas or dogwoods, but it almost sounds like the dogwood may have been munched on by a rabbit? Maybe a deer rubbed its antlers on it? Hard to tell exactly with out a pic. Best of luck.

J

"iforgotitsonevermind is the rude one. Ignore him, he trolls anyone who likes mimosas."

Famartin,

1. Iforgotitsonevermind is not a him.

2. Isn't your comment even more rude/trolling than her's?

3. Iforgotitsonevermind was really just trying to be helpful and has good reason for concern in regards to planting a mimosa (Albizia julibrissin), which is an invasive species in the OP's area. Maybe she could have worded her post some different way, but I don't think she was trying to be rude at all.

4. Can't we all just get along? LOL

Here is a link that might be useful: Invasive Plant Atlas

Folks, this post was from last March...

liz uk- best to start a new post of your own.

tj

Iforgotitsonevermind, do you teach piano?