u/Kaitwin

Hello! This is my first time posting here, so please be gentle. Location is Missouri.

In 2023 I planted an Elizabeth magnolia. It's been growing pretty slowly and has never bloomed, though it's always seemed happy/healthy enough. This year, we had an extremely cold snap as spring was just beginning. Temperatures dropped as low as 16 degrees for about 24 hours. It was pretty brutal for the early spring bloomers.

I think the freeze may have killed part of my magnolia. Usually it has leaves all over, but now its "main" trunk has no signs of life. The tree is small now but will be larger someday, so I want to be mindful of potential issues now rather than later. My questions:

• Is this part of the tree totally dead?
• If so, is there a way to save it (such as cutting off this dead part)? Is it better to leave the dead part alone?
• Is there a chance this will throw the tree off balance as it grows?

Additional info:

• The tree was planted with a mixture of 50/50 sand/soil (as directed by the seller; not sure if that was the right call, but it is what it is at this point).
• Full sun
• Regular watering via hose during dry times

Thank you in advance for any advice!