Did I commit Cotinus murder?

You've heard the term "Crepe Murder" of course, those poor (beautiful) trees butchered by people who have some strange need to control their plants. Well, I wonder if I've gone and committed Cotinus murser...

I should have taken a before photo, I think part of me realized if I'd stopped to document I might have questioned the action I was about to take. My Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple' was doing a fabulous poodle impersonation (long thin branches, big heavy cluster of leaves at the end). I'd honestly not really stopped to look at it in awhile, too busy working on other things. When I did I realized I'd (possibly) missed my chance to prune it back. So of course I consulted Facebook, or rather a Portland Gardeners Group on FB. Most said to go for it, it was a little late but not too late. That was two and a half weeks ago. I left this bit of foliage that fell below the chop-mark. It looked ridiculous but at least there was some sign of life...

I went out to photograph the stumps so I could share them here and have you all tell me if, indeed, it was murder. But now I have hope. There was a purple nubbin...

A few in fact...

I hadn't noticed them when I was standing on the sidewalk, looking at the sticks, and hoping to see something. Maybe it lives? Maybe it will leaf out again, on shorter, compacter (is that even a word?) branches? To be continued...

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