use Data::Dumper;

...

print Dumper $tree->{children}[0];    

# if the above produced more than "$VAR1 = {};" or "$VAR1 = undef;", post
# those results back here. If it didn't, perform the following
# and post those results

print Dumper $tree;

...

@{$tree->{children}}[0]->{label} =~ s/^\*//;