so the question is.. is it a graft.. or a seed grown tree ... i suspect seed ...

if so.. the top died.. but not the roots ... which would mean those sprouts are the same tree ..

with a giant .. relatively speaking root mass.. you might be surprised how fast it might recover ...

if it were mine.. and i could stand looking at it for this year.. i would pull back the soil.. and expose where the spouts are coming from ... this is info gathering ...

for now.. every leaf is an energy making machine. so i would leave them all there ... but my plan would be to start removing tthem over the next few years ...

all that said.. it is right out the front door.. and im not sure i would tolerate this kind of renewal project right there .. maybe it should go ..

but you might be past prime planting season for trees in leaf.. so you might want to wait until fall for the replacement .. and if thats the cse.. well.. may as well watch what this one does ... see how neatly it turns into a circuitous nightmare.. lol ...

if i were replacing it.. i would go no more than half the size.. smaller transplants can get established faster.. and usually outgrow larger instant gratification purchases ...

i just dont know TX enough to know if you are past prime tree planting time .. maybe someone else will opine ...

ken

note section one on timing

https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub

Wait for it to grow back or replace with something hardier (the thing about killer winters is they don't only happen once and may also come in clusters).

So Quercus polymorpha should normally be well adapted to your growing region. It's a great tree! I would drive or ask around and see if any other Monterey oaks have survived your winter. Most online sources say hardiness somewhere between zone 7 and 8.

It could very well be that yours, being only two years old, was still getting established and didn't have the root structure to weather such an insult. I'd replace it, if it were my yard, with the same species and hope and pray for at least three 'normal' winters! It's very likely that a more mature one will be much tougher to cold.

For such prominent spot in your yard, you need a great evergreen tree!

Hi, there! :-)

First of all, come on over and join us in Texas Gardening. There's lots of talk about the crazy winter we just had!

Secondly, my husband and I thought we lost 2 young Mexican/Monterey Oaks, and we're in your area. He yanked 'em up and tossed 'em into the compost pile. A couple of weeks later, they started sprouting from the (very shallow) root ball -- laying sideways -- and are currently over 2' tall. We are torn over what to do with them. Not particularly keen on replanting, if we're gonna get die-back to the ground every time Texas freezes over, but.... I dunno. Maybe.

Anyway, hope this helps! :-D

What a body thinks about having their plantings freeze down is key to what decision to make. If they'd rather plant stuff that will pretty much never do that in their area or instead replant particular kinds they are interested in. With that interest meaning it suits them to take whatever chances might be involved.

A big part of the problem with a killer winter coming in and leveling plants that had been around for a long time beforehand - without incident - is that nobody can say when that might happen again. As in next century or next year. And bad winters can come in clusters, with short periods between them.