Would you have any suggestions as to what it might be? If necessary, I can post some more pics.

So I have been searching, and i believe I have found the species of this tree (I contacted the person who sold it, but it's been a few days and I haven't got a reply).

From what I have found out, it looks to be a Brush Cherry (Eugenia Myrtifolia). I found the page on this site that talks about it, and am currently reading it, but I was wondering if anyone has any additional advice to offer? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Eugenia Myrtifolia would seem to be a rainforest tree, so it probably won't survive cold winters outdoors. Rainforests are usually hot and wet, so dehydration could be the reason behind the miserable condition.

Thank you! That confirms the information I've been finding. I have a humidifier next to the tree, so hopefully that adds some well needed moisture, and I'm looking at putting together a humidity tray, but I dont have any gravel for it. I do have a bunch of perlite and vermiculite from previous gardening escapades, and they are moisture retaining materials... could either of them be used?

To avoid insects like spider mites, etc., you need air motion, which blows away humidity. This is why trees don't do well indoors. A greenhouse with fans, heaters, and humidifiwould work, but that is a lot for one tree.

Ivan Mann wrote: To avoid insects like spider mites, etc., you need air motion, which blows away humidity. This is why trees don't do well indoors. A greenhouse with fans, heaters, and humidifiwould work, but that is a lot for one tree.

10 years ago, my office had the microclimate of a rainforest! The secret was an industrial overspec air conditioner, that is, in a 25m2 office, an aircon for 100m2. The aircon was so powerful the thermostat was lagging behind, and the temperature in my office was oscillating between 18C and 38C; the cycle was about 8h. Humidity in my office was around 80%. All the plants in my office were thriving, as were various molds. Considering the microclimate, it was a really exciting office – when the aircon switched from heating to cooling, I actually had cloud formation! The only problem was that I had to work in there, most of my books etc. got moldy, and I developed some respiratory problems.

So you can create a suitable microclimate even indoors, if you have a dedicated room and can afford the utility bills for an air conditioner running amok.

persimmon, that office sounds awesome, except for the mold and respiratory issues. And as for a dedicated room in the house for plants, unfortunately I don't have a house that big yet. Soon tho!

As it stands right now, I have the tree indoors. With it being winter, the heat is on and so it dries out the house, which is why I bought a humidifier and keep it right near the tree. It sits close to a window that faces east, and it gets sun for a couple of hours during the morning, then whatever light filters in through the rest of the day.

I agree, Ivan Mann, that the greenhouse setup you described would be a lot for one tree. Once the warmer weather shows up, I'm going to be setting up an area in the backyard to give my tree (and others that I will be buying/growing) a proper setting for growth and health, so I'll look into fans and such then.

It seems that the tree needs more humidity than I am able to give it in the house. I mentioned setting up a humidity tray, but I don't have gravel; I do, however, have vermiculite and perlite, 2 materials known for their water retention. Could I use either of them instead of the gravel? I would think that, since they hold moisture, they would work better in this instance than the gravel...

Humidity trays, despite the name, have very little effect on humidity in a big room.

Build a large framework and cover it with clear plastic. The hardware stores here sell clear plastic to put on windows to form a barrier to wind. It is clear and does not obstruct vision. Put the plant inside that, water the plant, and then close up the framework. Site it in a place with lots of sunlight.

Then watch for bugs of all kinds.

My inside plants are in a room with three large aquariums (aquaria?) They pump water into the air constantly and some times I can tell a little difference in humidity. Right now the heater runs most of the night and a lot of the day and I can't tell much difference. Moving air means moving humidity.

Thank you all for your advice!

I have taken my plant to the local nursery/garden shop, after finding out they do some work with bonsai. The lady who took in my tree was so knowledgeable when I was chatting with her, and they had a number of plants there that she had worked on that looked amazing, so I felt she knew her stuff. She offered to nurse it back to health, tidy up the look of it with some essential trimming, and provide some TLC to the soil as well.In the meantime, I am going to do some planning on an enclosure. (Thanks for that, Ivan!)

You mentioned aquariums... I have a few 10 gallon tanks in the garage, as well as a larger (size unknown - maybe 50 gallon?) one; I wonder if I could place the tree in one of those and build up a sort of terrarium/enclosure in it? I have seeds for succulents that I ordered online a few months ago, as well as some juniper seeds, that I haven't done anything with... maybe I could use them now? I could get an aquarium pump and run it into a water source in the tank to create the necessary humidity. What do you think?