gardenglassgems said:Well, I just thought maybe it should be more red by October in the second picture. In the 1st picture, it looks like the ends of the branches are missing. I never really noticed before if it looked like this after it had lost it's leaves.
To me the ends of branches didn't look right in the second picture, the foliage one - I had to enlarge the picture to see it but it looks as though there aren't leaves right to the tips on some branches. That's why I asked if it had been pruned or eaten. It's not supposed to be attractive to deer, and they certainly don't bother it here while eating everything else! If it wasn't pruned, or eaten, then the lack of leaves at the ends might mean some branch die-back. They seem inclined to do that here in Zone 4. I just cut those branches back to where they still look healthy.
The fall colour in them around here last year was hit and miss. Some didn't turn any redder than yours, others did their usual thing. So there probably was some different local environmental factor here at least. In the bare branches picture it's hard to tell if there is a problem because of the "wings" on the branches, they make them look kind of stubby in any case. I do see a terminal bud on one of them though, not sure about others. You may find some branches don't leaf out right to the tips this year.
