Hi OSU Extension Service, I'm on my third year attempting to establish a madrone tree in my N Portland yard. I understand how notoriously difficult they are to establish. I've bought small sizes (1g- 2g), planted in a mostly sunny spot with well-draining soils, and I plant in the fall. This year I added leaves from a neighborhood tree to the planting hole in an attempt to add some beneficial microbes. All seems good all fall, winter, and early spring (this was the best-looking year yet!), but now I'm noticing the same thing that happened last year - the top new growth dramatically wilts, the bottom looks okay, but if this is the same as before the tree will die. I noticed lots of aphids on the new growth (saw this last year too on the tree that died), and ants harvesting aphids. But I don't know that aphids would damage enough to kill the tree or cause it to be more likely exposed to diseases (?). Does this look like typical madrone transplant-rejection? Even in perfect conditions, madrones unexpectedly die, but I figure it's worth asking to see if there's anything else I haven't thought of. Or if there's anything I could do before/after the major wilting happens. Next year I may try adding soil from under an established tree to the planting hole, or try growing from seed - that might be "easier". I've read Native Madrones are special to the Northwest - https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/native-madrones-are-special-northwest And I have a planting/growing guide from Wallace W Hansen - hints for growing madrone trees Thanks for looking!