the form is more along the lines of a shrub.. rather than tree form ...

if you cut it down.. it will resprout dozens more trunks .. and yeah.. i suppose you could choose a few ... and get it back into shape.. over the next 5 or 10 years ... if you dont mind the hobby ...

that said.. its probably sitting right out in front of your castle.. and frankly.. you could do a lot better .. imo.. remove it.. and replant somewhere off to the side... not in the exact spot.. usually pretty hard to dig in the exact spot ...

i wouldnt be adverse to another RB actually tree form.. i actually like them for their early spring show ... and otherwise nice green leaves ...

yes.. its known as a short lived tree.... they can start falling apart around this time frame.. but that isnt really what seems to be happening here ...

i suspect its in a lot of shade ... ??? .... so its splaying to maximize reaching sun.. leading to excessive arching.. and weather failures ... same could happen in my MI with ice storms ...

anyway.. i would move on.. rather than have a multi year renovation project i the front yard ... but if thats your thing.. go for it ...

i tend not to get too attached to problem plants ... and mother earth net zero .. if you replace it ...

ken

Thanks Ken. Actually it's in full sun, no shade at all. It sits on a raised L-shaped berm at the corner of my lot. The berm is about 10 feet above street level. The sides that have broken off are the northwest side of the clump...the direction the winds usually come...go figure.

A single trunk tree form...I like that idea. In fact, I could easily place 3 about 20 feet apart around this berm, and create kind of a grove of redbuds. Can redbud handle full sun with no wind protection?

Could it have sunk a bit in that berm? The root flare seems be buried which isn’t doing it any good. I don’t mind the multi stem shrub form at all. I’d tweak it here and there just to reveal or shape the branching as you like. Giving it a broad skirt of geranium macrorhizzum would kick it up a notch!

Spent some time yesterday closely examining the remaining trunks of this tree, and decided it's time for it to go. Numerous main branches have cracks coming from included bark in the tight crotch angles...there would be nothing left if I pruned and reshaped it down past these points. I'm going to start another thread about a replacement.

I can easily handle taking down this tree and disposing of it, but I would like to save a little money and not pay a stump grinder to do what would be a quick job. If I cut it close to flush to the ground and treated the fresh cuts with Roundup, would I be fairly successful at killing the stump and roots? Is there something else more potent I could use?

Actually it's in full sun

==>>> dduuuddddee .. the pix clearly show it in shade ... lol ...

regardless.. good decision ...

roundup as a stump killer is labeled at 100% ... cut flush .. and apply it to the cambian layer... the green edge just below the bark ... it will suck it down into the roots and kill them ... use a disposable foam brush... very little is actually needed ..anything labeled as a stump killer is an option ...

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffcm&q=cambian+layer&iax=images&ia=images

great idea on 3 replacements.. but crikey.. dont do 3 of the same thing .... there are so many options out there ... plus you could extend the flowering season with 3 different trees .... think crabapple.. maybe 7 sons ... i dont know ... maybe a pic of the house from the street will stimulate more ideas ... maybe in a new post ...

fall is a great time to plant trees... as well as winter and spring.. depending on where you are ... just about nowhere is august tree planting time ...

ken

If you decide to use round up, make sure it's full strength glyphosate (41%-43%) and not the diluted stuff you get premixed.

Some say triclopyr is better for stump killer.

eta: On a tree that size, you can many times dig & chop the lateral roots around the trunks, then pull the tree over with a tractor/truck, far enough to chop the exposed tap roots.

You'll get most of the stump out of the ground that way without chemicals.

Thanks for the advice on killing the stump. I can handle respraying sprouts if I don't get it the first time...it's not worth the money and mess to get those little stubs ground out.

I'll start another thread on replacements. Ken...as far as it looking shaded in the pics...that's it's own shade...or maybe there was a cloud overhead when I snapped the pic. Closest thing to this tree is my house...a good 80ft away to the east. All sun and wind from all directions.

Before I jump right into planting another Redbud cultivar, I'm curious if anyone has any input on what has ailed this tree....other than breakage. I know it's middle August and stuff starts looking a little ragged this time of year, but this tree always looks like this from early July on. Lots of small, curled, deformed, tattered leaves. Very uniform, all around the tree to the top of the crown so I wouldn't suspect any pesticide drift. I check periodically for evidence of scale or spider mites and never see any. Never have any die back that would make me suspect wilt.

BTW...I've always made the assumption it's Cercis Canadensis...but it seems darker, more glossy, and thicker leaves.

Here is my Cercis canadensis For comparison