By Littlenic999
North Yorkshire,
United Kingdom 
I bought a Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy' last year. I'm a bit puzzled by the way it has been pruned, but I'm not confident with pruning so I have left it alone. Last year, the leader, which is bent at a peculiar angle, was completely bare. Now as I look at it, it looks greyer than the rest of the wood for about 8" and I'm concerned it is dying back. Is anyone able to advise me on what I might need to do? Apologies the photos are not that clear, but I hope it's enough information.
2 Apr, 2016
Answers
Perhaps it would be best to wait until its come into leaf and you know for sure which parts are alive. Are you planning to keep the other tree? There won't be room for both if the Cercis grows to maturity.
2 Apr, 2016
Hi steragram, thanks for getting back to me. I will hold on until it leafs up. The other tree is staying - but it is further away than it looks - terrible depth of field on iPhone camera. I was also planning on keeping the cercis as a shrub, for foliage size, although was not planning to hard prune for a few years until well established.
3 Apr, 2016
I didn't know you could do that - have you seen it done?
3 Apr, 2016
Steragram - no I haven't seen it and I'm going to have to learn the best way to go about it. I've read in a few places that to get the largest foliage you can effectively coppice or pollard cercis once it is established, which is why I chose it. I'll be very nervous about doing it.
4 Apr, 2016
Be interesting to see what happens then!
4 Apr, 2016
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