Can this Redbud ‘Rising Sun’ be saved?

Brookline, MA

We had this tree planted last fall, and it is clearly failing to thrive. The landscaping company proposed just replacing it - but that seems wasteful to me if this tree might make it. We’re in zone 6b, outside Boston. It’s in a spot that gets pretty direct sun for most of the day.

I would really appreciate any thoughts on what is wrong with it, and/or what might help. Thanks!
Kathy

Thumbnail by KathyMW Thumbnail by KathyMW Thumbnail by KathyMW Thumbnail by KathyMW
Somerville, MA

My educated guess is that it was poorly planted. It is certainly too close to that fence. It's a sizeable tree, and the bigger they are, the more care needs to be taken in planting it. Newly planted trees of that size need a ton of water, and here in Massachusetts we had a huge drought last summer. The soil was probably still bone dry in the fall, a terrible time to plant a tree. If I were you, I'd start over with a smaller tree and a different landscaper. I have one of these trees that I planted myself, and they grow pretty fast. Better to buy trees in a smaller size and wait a year or two.

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