Looks to me like the lead bud has died (probably a heat / humidity issue; it likes cold dry summers), and it has produced several additional buds to replace it. I fear some of them may also be dead, as far down as the highest green needles, but too soon to tell for sure.

Resin

Look my plant, (planted in wet clay)and it's not my first plant.I look for graft on Pinus uncinata, but I don't have scion.
Clement

I checked all the leader buds and all others in close proximity today. All alive even the extended one that looks like it died.

Dave

Surprised, but good to hear!

Resin

hey dave

this also happens when a borer attacks early in spring.. early enough for other buds to set ... but i presume you know what to look for in that regard ...

man i hate same names on different plants ... is this different than my mugo SC??? or another name change ... pix below from 2009

ken
cant really compare on your pix
{{gwi:845554}}

{{gwi:845556}}

Very different!

Pinus longaeva - native to USA (CA, NV, UT)

Pinus mugo - native to Europe (Alps, Carpathians, Pyrenees, etc)

Resin

so resin..

you are confirming his is longaeva and mine is mugo ..

or are you saying that 2 different names.. mean 2 different things.. which was quite apparent ... lol .. to those of us who truly believe.. words mean things ...

is mine mugo??.. and no.. i dont have cone pix ...

but that aside .. what would possess sherwood .. to name two different plants.. sherwood's compact ... what.. did he run out of words .. to come full circle ...

or perhaps.. he just called them both compacta ... and others have now corrected the name???

ken

Plenty of collectors use the same 'stable' name which is fine if they're distinct species. Not distinct enough though it seems...

"you are confirming his is longaeva and mine is mugo .."

Yep!

Resin