Returned to Redbud after a difficult first attempt

My first attempt at Redbud failed — scale insects or aphids in the canopy attracting sooty mould got hold of it and I didn't know what I was looking at until it was too late. I left it alone for a year before trying again.

The second attempt, with proper attention to watering deeply and regularly in the first two growing seasons, has been completely different. It's now thriving in a small garden with a compact or columnar variety chosen for scale and significant impact on the microclimate and character of a garden is on full display. bare winter silhouette revealing branch structure and bark this year was a genuine reward for starting again. If you failed first time, the plant isn't the problem — the conditions probably were.