It's hard for me to see from this shot, but are all of those dead leaves coming off one branch? Cercis are susceptible to Verticillium wilt, which can look like this - the pathogen is transmitted through the vascular tissue so it typically affects one branch at a time. Sometimes you can stay ahead of it enough to keep the plant going, but the wilt mostly wins in the end. If these leaves are not on one branch but it is the top of the crown browning across several branches, looks like sunburn.

Sara

a 3 year old tree should not sunburn.. especially in shade...

i cant imagine what it would need in the way of feeding.. but that didnt cause this...

look for bugs sucking the life out of the3 back of the leaves ... aphids or mites ....

if such.. they will releaf next spring...

let us know otherwise ... do a scratch test on a branch ... to see if its green under the bark ....

i have about a thousand rogue seedlings in the 5 acres... and i wasnt aware of any disease issues with C canendensis ..... maybe its a regional thing... i dont know ... but where are you???

ken

I had a single branch do something like this, and ti turned out to be a canker at the branch point of two branches, I cut them both out. I also don't believe it to be sunburn. Herbicide damage, or heat from and exhaust maybe?

Arktrees

I think that Cercis can get Verticillium anywhere that there is Verticillium. I have read that it is particularly a problem in the Midwest, actually.

Ken now you see that I was lying when I said that I was going back to my desk work!

Sara
ps agree it doesn't really look like sunburn. Canker apparently the most serious problem with Cercis.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cercis - AHS publication

Formandfoilage
most of the damage is at the top, however also scattered around the tree...not on 1 branch, many of them, and the bulk of the tree is ok.

ken_adrian
The branches are very nimble, did a scratch test and see no green , I wil try a test on a good branch to compare..
Wee tiny white bugs ( aphids ) underneath a few leaves, they leave as my fingernail approaches.

arktrees
haven't used anything on this tree, heat from any exhaust doesn't exist..

Tree looks good and healthy otherwise.
Going to call the State ag rep, 4 blocks away.
I will post his findings
Thanks everyone
Jimmy

good news is: it is not Verticillium!