Please tell us your location (nearest city & state). Do you remember what kind of redbud it was? Does it have purple leaves or green?

I live in Eau Claire, WI. it's the Eastern Redbud. Every year it grows back like this.

And here's the second one.

Down here redbuds just grow. Good thing I like them.

What hardiness zone are you?

Crepe Myrtles die back to the ground on me due to our winters. I wonder if that is what yours are doing.

We're in Zone 4b: -25°F to -20°F. And yes, mine just died and starts all over again in the spring every year.

Yes, you are at the bottom of its hardiness range so unless your tree is from a northern seed strain, chances are very good it is dying back each year with winter cold.

So, how do I know or purchase an Eastern Redbud with the northern strain? I'm close to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and they do have several redbud trees blooming every spring. How would I choose the correct redbud tree for my zone then?

Buy locally (not mail order) and ask the provenance of the redbuds they are selling. They should know if from a northern sourced seed stock.

Okay, I found a site that sells the "Northern Herald® Eastern Redbud". This particular version is rated for zone 3-8. However, besides the hardiness of zone 3, do they look the same? I want to make sure they look the same. I've searched locally and none carries the eastern redbud tree.

2myself, it should look the same.

Thank you so much for all the help.

I would think in Eau Claire you'd be able to find the MN strain, which is grown wholesale in large numbers by Bailey Nurseries in MN. This strain was developed using seeds from the UMN Arboretum trees.

The U also made a selection out of that called Heart's Desire, but that might be harder to find.

If you can get seeds from the arboretum, redbuds grow fast.

Again, thank you everyone, much appreciated! This is very helpful to me. @maackia, I just contacted Down to Earth and they just sold out. They will let me know once they have more in stock.