I have an albizia (silk tree) that was given to me in a sizeable pot. It is about 4 feet tall. Last year the leaves came out healthy and green but no blossoms (maybe not enough sun?). Then we had the dreadful winter. Most branches were brittle which I cut back. In May the plant was looking like it had tiny buds but were slow to come out. I decided to put it into the ground (in late June). It was somewhat root bound and the roots were white (presumably healthy?). I dug a good size hole slightly larger than the pot, using compost mix, bone meal, and mulch on top. I have been watering it daily. A couple of tiny leaves were showing but eventually dried up. Should I give up on this tree or let it sit through another winter in the ground with the hope some life will come back next spring? Thanks.
Too small to bloom. Might have a pathogenic infestation rather than cold damage or cold damage alone. Freezing back of some kinds of trees can result in secondary infestations, too. In this region long-established silk trees often have many dead twigs inside the canopy due to a blight problem. If there is little live growth specimen should probably be discarded. During future planting of trees and shrubs leave out the compost mix and bone meal. Planting Hole Preparation Dig a hole no deeper than the root mass, but at least twice as wide. Build a soil mound in the middle of the hole to help spread the roots evenly. Remove roots, weeds, large rocks, and other debris from the planting hole. Do not add gravel, fertilizers, organic matter, or other amendments to the planting hole. Do not loosen or otherwise disturb the soil at the bottom of the hole http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~linda chalker-scott/FactSheets/Planting fact sheet.pdf
