Lace Bark Elm Sluggish in Spring

[Baxter]

I have a new home, which didn't come with landscaping. I planted about 100 trees, shrubs, bushes, etc, and they have all done marvelous, save one: the LaceBark Elm (yes, it's a true Chinese Elm...)

I'm in Southeastern Pennsylvania, and we've had a unusually cold spring. Every other tree in the area has sprouted it's leaves in full, but my lacebark elm (probably about 7 years old when I bought it bagged/balled) seems to be lagging. Most of the little branches are dry and dead feeling. If I scratch the bark in any of the main branches, I get a nice wet yellowish white core with a thin area of green - so the place I bought it from told me it was still alive (and they won't replace it...) It's a very important specimen tree, so if it's a bum tree, I want to rip it out and replace it before I lose too many years...

So my questions are: do lacebark elms require much warmer temperatures before their leaves come in? Is it common for many of the tiny branches to be dry and cracking? How lond do I wait for leaves before ripping the tree out and putting in a boring oak or maple tree?

Thanks for any help out there...

Bax.

 

[treeseer]

Look at the roots too. See New Tree Planting under the link below.

Post a picture, if you want help.

Green cambium is a sign of cellular life but not whole tree life.