It's not going to die just because of this. What it probably is going to do is fork. So if it does fork and you want it to have a single trunk above this point you will have to work with it yourself. With the problem with topping young small trees being this creation of forking that wouldn't have happened otherwise. And not the same issue as with the topping of mature trees and how they are affected by it.

looks like there is a graft down there ... wish i could see it better ...

is there any chance its a.. lets say... 8 inch piece of scion wood.. and that is where it budded out???

if so .. thats how they do it.. and the only failure is you expectation ...

also.. if the bud were at the top... you might be complaining that it broke off in shipping ...

i have mail ordered a lot of trees .... and frankly .. this is how its done.. with these types of trees .... [as compared to conifers] .... and there probably isnt anything to complain about ...

next time you visit a nursery .. look at their trees ... which were probably mail ordered in winter.. and potted for sale in spring .. im sure you will find many are the same in this regard ...

with proper pruning over the next 5 or 10 years.. you can make it into whatever shape you wish ...

ken

Well I was ignorant on this then. Feels better now that I know I didn’t waste my money.

Should be okay from the cutting. Plant away