Sickly Fremontodendron “California Glory”

I bought a Fremontodendron “California Glory” back in February and it does not seem to be doing very well. It is a five-foot specimen. What leaves were on it have not dropped but look very dry and there is no sign of any new growth. Am I impatient or have I real cause for concern?
It pretty much faces South with a six-foot wooden fence three feet to the North. It is a sheltered spot with a tall hedge protecting it from Easterly winds. The bed it is in used to be a lawn but it was well rotovated (twice) and I dug plenty of matured manure in before planting it. Other shrubs in the same bed are doing well.
Should I be worried?

 

I know they hate roots disturbance and brown dead leaves that stay attached are usually a bad sign.

It may have been on the way out when you bought it or more likely been under glass all winter and planting out in February came as a bit of a shock.

 

We are very dry here and the place it is in tends to be sun-baked.
I gave it a good watering after planting as we do with all the trees we have planted.
It was delivered with a stout cane attached and I have left the cane in place so it is well supported. We have had strong winds recently and it hasn't moved.
My wife thinks there is new growth lower down but I have my doubts.

We had a couple of cold nights after planting it but nothing extreme and the daytime temperatures were relatively mild for February.

Looks like I will just have to wait and see. It will either live or die. No point in trying to do anything with it now or it probably will die. I'll just have to see what the next six months bring.

 

I had a good look at it today and I am convinced it is dead. The place I bought it from has a 5-year guarantee but by the time I return it, courier at my own expense, and they send out a replacement, again the courier at my expense, it is simply not worth the hassle. I have ordered another one from another nursery which I will plant near the original. If the original grows (the nursery says it may not show signs of growth until May or later) then I will have two!