The nursery where I bought the above tree says that the severe winter cold we had zapped the needles - as it wasn't established - and that it will recover! It will soon look like a mole rat even if the new candles grow......I will attempt the extremely tiresome laborious job required by this out-of-date-website of posting a picture.

I see Thunderhead sold quite a bit in the area and the ones I saw did fairly well after -15F/-26C, (a bit warmer here in the East Cleveland Suburbs) though some had some slight burn primarily on the side facing the sun. I think the winter sun does more damage than cold. I have Ogon, Oculus Draconis, and Shirome Janome. Ogon and OD were fine and undamaged. Shirome was newly planted and suffered about 50% burn, but the buds are elongating really well. I've never had damage on the Thunbergii until this winter. I don't know what the long term success rate is on them though Ive seen some Thunderheads in Ohio and Pennsylvania that have to be over 25 years old.

Chester, Pinus thunbergii are notorious for some needle die back after cold winters.

If the tree is producing new candles(new growth) then it will more than likely be fine. It may look a little sparse for a time but it will recover. You're only problem might be this being a bit of a cycle depending on how cold your winters are.

There are some Pinus thunbergii cultivars that handle cold weather better then the common species tree. Thunbergii is one of my favorite pines in particular the cultivar 'Thunderhead'.

The suspect: Dead?

http://s293.photobucket.com/albums/mm45/chester_grant/?action=view¤t=DSC00314.jpg

http://s293.photobucket.com/albums/mm45/chester_grant/?action=view¤t=DSC00315.jpg

copy the HTML code from photobucket ..
NOT the image code ...

once you upload.. it will appear under the little thumbnail ...

you are still a bit early to give up ... you should be able to see whether the candles are extending ... mine have gone from a mere 1 inch right after winter.. going on 2 or 3 now ....

but its still going to be a few weeks before needles appear in my z5

ken