I've had a Blue Star for about 20 years. It routinely loses a branch now and then. Just cut it out and the hole will fill in.

The root ball was slightly damp and the stake had a piece of tape wrapped around it to hold it to the trunk. I took it off. Will the branch grow back if I cut it off completely?

"Will the branch grow back if I cut it off completely?"

No, the other branches will fill in the hole.

transport damage ...

telephone poled.. no root flare ...

https://www.google.com/search?q=rootflare&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj1y9Ln7rTMAhWHnYMKHYWhBkcQ_AUICCgC&biw=935&bih=745&dpr=0.9

i dont see the other general browning ....

find the root flare.. fix that.. and back off.. you may be on the verge of loving it to death ... no fert ever ...

the easiest way to fix it.. would be to dig it up ... move it a bit further from the house ... i would place it at least 3 feet from the house ....

and make sure the depth is proper ... its not really a big deal.. this time of year...

water it in if you replant .... but then do not water it again .. until the soil starts to dry in a month or so ... its just not going to dry.. until the heat starts hitting ...

z5 is half the US... and varies wildly... give us a big city name ...

ken

Huntington IN, near Fort Wayne.

What do you mean by ' telephone poled'?

see link above about root flare ...

when you cant see the root flare .. then it looks like a telephone pole ...

ken

Niki - don't worry. It certainly isn't dying. Cut out the grotty bit, sort out the planting depth and give it a chance to settle into its new home.