not a very good pic.. and we would need to see the buds themselves..

but in MI... this is what a frost/freeze looks like.. if it happens at that point of budding out ...

maples have plenty of dormant buds ... and will usually releaf

so all you can do is.. wait and see

ken

Sorry about the pic. I'll try to post a better one tonight. About when should the tree get more leaves if its alive? Just wondering if I should wait through spring or later?

I hope that your 'Seiryu' survives and prospers. I've seen only one in our area. (At 7' tall and about $400, it's a bit beyond my means.) But it's beautiful and unique. You probably know that, while almost all dissectums are of the mounded or weeping habit, 'Seiryu' is one of the only ones which are upright. A real beauty, in my eyes.

Might have picked up a bacterial blight infestation last fall. Or been pre-infected at time of purchase, failures of grafted Japanese maples a few years after purchase are a problem I have encountered myself - at least one party with long experience with them has said on the internet that careless growers are sending out stock infected at time of grafting.

Thanks everyone. I guess I'll wait until June to see if it shows any sign of life before taking it out.