Black Tupelo Tree - Five Months Later - September 2025

In the middle of April, I planted a *very small caliper* Black Tupelo (or Black Gum) native tree in our parkway as a replacement for another tree that didn't come back this Spring.  At that time, the Tupelo still had NOT leaf'd out and had some curly branches attached all over the trunk.   Almost immediately, the apical meristem (leader) die'd back and I thought the tree was lost.  

But, thanks to some (occasional and deep) watering, the tree seems to have navigated the hot part of Summer and is (mostly) leafy-green in late September.  This is five months after being put in the ground:

I haven't pruned anything on this tree other than taking off the dead leader.  The lower-trunk branches are still curly and there's some red-ish Fall color that is starting to appear on a few of the leaves.  

The Black Tupelo is noted for its "pyramidal form", but so far....our tree isn't showing any thing close to that shape.  

I'll watch this (and water it) thru Fall.  And, if it comes back in Spring, I'll begin to think about pruning the top to create a single leader.