Its a redbud. One of the neat things about them is no two are alike.

If irregularity bothers you replace it. If it werr in my backyard I woulf let it go for sure. Last year was rough on the ones I am seeing around town. The flower show this spring was not as good as usual.

Would you prune it back into tree shape? I probably would. Bet its a three year project.

My neighbor has a beautiful multi stem redbud btw.

Thanks for the feedback!

So this redbud will now be multistem from the ground rather than from a single trunk? Will it look similar to the tree in the below link?

Can you direct me to any good sites that show how to prune a tree like this into shape? I'm especially wondering if I should prune more of the trunk down.

Here is a link that might be useful: Multi stem redbud

I don't know what your zone is but they say a redbud is hardy to zone 4/5 but for some reason I've never had luck with them in either zone. They always seem to do the same thing yours is doing now, die off from the top. If you want to keep it and see what happens that's fine. But if you want to replace it you might want to replace it with something entirely different, like a flowering plum or a tri-colored beech. Both are spectacular and hardy enough (especially the variety 'Newport' plum). Check them out.

The drought and record heat hit the redbuds a bit here last year. Esoecially a recently transplanted fellas was likely to have issues.

Tri color in full sun in St Louis just seems to be a crispy looking keaf waiting to happen. Heck go to MOBOT and check out their well shaded ones in August! A heck of an eye catcher that beech is but the one at....McNair(?) park off Zumbehl north of 70 is the only really good looking one I have seen in person. The St Peters rec plex has an alive one ehich is decent under all them shade trees.

In my non professional opinion as long as the top is not flat or bellowed where it holds water and dirt I would leave it alone.

Oops, gotta run.

your link did not take me at a picture. ...

if you want it is tree form.. then prune it in tree form.. over the next few years ...

i would remove.. AT LEAST .. everything below one foot ...

in fall i would reduce to one leader ...

and go from there ...

remove grass to a MIN of one foot around the trunk.. 2 would be better.. and water DEEPLY thru the root mass ... letting it near dry in between deep waterings ....

ken