Shrubs

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Soap Spray

You might have applied this mixture during times when it was hot or when they were receiving sunlight, this would cause the leaves to be burned. Without knowing the contents of the soap spay you applied we can not advise you on what went wrong, but we suggest you do a scratch test to see if they are still containing life. To do this start at the upper most stems and take your finger nail and gently scratch in line with the stem, not horizontally. If just below the surface you see green it shows you there is still life there. If it is dry and brown it would suggest that it is dead. You can can continue to move down the stems toward the base in search of green. Remove any thing that is dead and give them some TLC, regular water and a weekly dose of a mild liquid seaweed fertilizer which can be obtained from your local garden center. Don't use a high number fertilizer on them at this time as the heat of summer will cause more damage.

By | 2016-02-13T06:34:07-08:00 February 13th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Croton

Known for their bold, tropical foliage, crotons are perennial evergreen shrubs. Not only can these plants be grown outdoors in warmer parts of Florida, but some cultivars can be raised as decorative houseplants as well. The beautiful leaves of the croton are also used to enhance floral arrangements. Grown for their beautiful leaves; crotons (Codiaeum variegatum) come in a wide variety of leaf shapes and colors which include reds, oranges, yellows, pinks, purple, greens, and white. Native to India and Malaysia, this tropical plant usually quite full and the leaves form clusters to create maximum color patterns. This shrub can grow up to 10 feet tall, but there are both dwarf and larger varieties. Many crotons grow best in full sun, but many cultivars can tolerate, and even prefer, light shade partial shade.Frosts or freezes will damage them, but they quickly recover. When used outdoors this plant looks most attractive when grown in groups. Use them to accent green shrubbery and add a splash of color to any yard or container.

By | 2016-02-13T02:16:44-08:00 February 13th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Leaf Spot Fungus And Root Weevil

There are two things going on here. The eaten leaves are most likely showing damage from Rhododendron root weevils. Although the adult eats the leaves, additional damage happens when the larvae eat the roots. There are nematodes you can buy to apply to the soil that will kill the larvae. Some people put crinkled burlap under their plants and after a few days pick it up during the day and shake it out on a driveway, stomping on the weevils that fall out. The adults hide in the burlap during the day after feeding on the Rhody leaves at night. As the website/pdf given in the comment section, there isn't an insecticide that's labeled for these pests, but there are other physical controls and using the nematodes will help.

The spots are leaf-spot fungus. This is damage that happened last spring or summer, but is most noticeable after winter ends. Avoid watering broadleaf evergreens from overhead during the growing season and always water in the morning, never at night. If an automatic sprinkler set for the lawn is hitting shrubs, be sure that it's only going off once a week. You could try an organic fungicide such as sulfur starting now, used according to directions, but that's never 100% effective for leaf spot fungi and you have a minor amount on these plants.

By | 2016-01-26T19:54:20-08:00 January 26th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Arborvitae Dieback

Arborvitae can lose color and brown for many reasons. Your plant is browning in the middle, which is normal up to a point (evergreens drop up to a third of their needles each year, though they don't drop all at once as with deciduous trees). It's true that either too much/too little water or poor drainage can take a toll. Check the trunk at the soil line to make sure it's not injured or damaged. Look for insects or disease patterns in the foliage. If you can help us narrow down what's going on and send more photos, we may be able to offer more advice.

Occasionally pests such as spider mites are an issue - you can check for them by placing a white sheet of typing paper under a branch and shaking the branch slightly. If present, the spider mites will fall onto the paper and should be easily spotted. Look for other signs, such as webs for spiders, tunneling on the stems and leaves, leaf miners and wet sticky sap that might be a sign of aphids. If you discover a pest, your local garden center or nursery can help you determine effective solutions. (Never spray without knowing what your pest is, because that, too can cause browning!)

By | 2016-01-26T10:20:04-08:00 January 26th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Alder Buckthorn Glossy Buckthorn

We believe this is an invasive tree/shrub called Buckthorn. Alder Buckthorn was sold regularly at nurseries as a garden shrub and hedge. This shrub or small tree reaches heights up to 20 feet. However, it has limited decorative qualities without conspicuous flowers or bold foliage. While it was brought over from Europe with good intentions about 200 years ago, this shrub is enormously invasive. All exotic buckthorns produce a fruit that is eaten by birds and other animals. However, the severe laxative effect of these fruits forces fast distribution of the seeds. These shrubs also aggressively resprout from cut or damaged stems. This shrub is invading Midwestern forests and devastating the native plants and shrubs because of the berry / bird association. Environmentally speaking, it would be proactive to remove these plants entirely and replace them with something that might better attract pollinators or wildlife without leaving a devastating invasion. Here is a list of alternative plants which are more environmentally friendly we suggest you place in your garden - http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/terrestrialplants/woody/buckthorn/yard.html.

By | 2016-01-22T21:37:11-08:00 January 22nd, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Pink Dawn Viburnum

Viburnum x bodnantense (cross between V. farreri and V. grandiflorum) is a hybrid viburnum that was developed at Bodnant Garden, Tal-y-Cafn, north Wales in 1934-1935. This shrub is noted for its extremely fragrant, tubular, pink flowers. In cold winter climates (including St. Louis), flowers bloom on naked stems from late winter to early spring. In warm winter climates (including the deep South and Pacific Northwest coast), flowers bloom on naked stems from late autumn to early spring. Flowers appear in flat cymes (1-2" wide). 'Dawn' is a cultivar that was also developed at Bodnant Garden in 1934-35. It features rosy-pink flowers with purple-pink anthers. This is an upright, narrow, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub that typically matures to 8-10äó» tall (sometimes more) and to 4-6' wide. Toothed, narrow-ovate leaves (2-4" long) emerge in spring with bronze tints, but mature to deep green. Foliage turns attractive shades of burgundy-red in fall. Flowers give way to red berries (drupes) which eventually mature to black by fall.
Zone: 5 to 7
Height: 8.00 to 10.00 feet
Spread: 4.00 to 6.00 feet
Bloom Time: March to April
Bloom Description: Rosy-pink
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Hedge
Flower: Showy, Fragrant
Leaf: Good Fall
Attracts: Birds, Butterflies
Fruit: Showy

By | 2016-01-22T13:54:31-08:00 January 22nd, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Either Hydrangea Or Crape Myrtle

OK - let's talk! I put this photo into Photoshop to try and see it more clearly, and used the "shadow highlight" feature to look at it with fewer shadows. A long shot like this taken in full sun is harder to look at. After that, there are only two possibilities.

There are two plants that are in bloom in this area now that can be tree form with white, plume-like flowers and leaves with this shape. It could either be one of the Hydrangea paniculata cultivars (discussed before) or a white flowering crape myrtle. Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia) are less common in the northeast since every few years there is a winter that's harsh enough to kill them off. But against all odds sometimes one survives and gets to be tree sized. I remember one in Falmouth, MA that for years was about 20 feet tall and wide before it got killed in a harsh winter. So perhaps that's what this tree is.

If you're still in the area you might take a closer shot, especially if it's when there is a cloud cover, and we can start again. But it's got to be one of the those two plants. Thanks for resending and letting us consider it further!

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:26-07:00 January 22nd, 2016|Shrubs|1 Comment
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Walking Stick Leaf Browning

Is it possible that this plant got hit with something? Hot water from a sun-heated hose, house cleaning products, liquid fertilizer or other garden products? This looks most like contact-irritant damage of some sort. See if you can figure out if something splashed on the leaves.

There is a blight that causes these filberts to dieback. It usually causes die-back branch at a time. It's possible that your plant has this. The tell-tale sign of this is small, black dashes of "fruiting bodies" on the stems. More about this here: http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/pastpest/200811a.html

General recommendations for a plant showing leaf browning are as follows:
1. Clip off the worst leaves so you can better monitor if the damage is continuing or not. If the damage has stopped, whatever the problem was has come and gone.
2. Water the plant deeply using a sprinkler or soaker hoses, not hand-watering. Hand-watering is never deep enough. It has been a pretty dry summer in your area and it's possible that this plant just has leaf scorch from being so dry.
3. Do not fertilize until next spring.

By | 2016-01-21T20:09:20-08:00 January 21st, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Pineapple Guava

If the flower in the background belongs to this plant with the leaves in front, then this is likely the flower of a Feijoa sellowiana commonly known as Pineapple Guava. It is a large fruiting, evergreen shrub or small tree and used primarily as a landscape shrub on the west coast of the United States but has the added feature of tasty, edible fruit and flowers. Does well in USDA zones 8 äóñ 10. What this really means is that it likes some cool weather, can go down to 10 deg. F, likes rain in the 30äó_ äóñ 40äó_ range, and doesnäó»t like super hot daytime weather äóñ so not as happy in the desert. Itäó»s adaptable to a wide range of soils, including acidic soil, but prefers a humus rich soil that is well drained. Adding compost and not manure works for this plant. Full sun is best äóñ but it can tolerate partial shade. The flowers which bloom in the late spring are edible if raised organically. The thick petals are succulent with a tropical floral flavor and are eaten fresh. Great sprinkled over a fruit salad. The petals may be plucked without interfering with fruit set. The fruit ripens in late fall, which is a great boon since almost everything else in the garden is gone. The delicious fruit pulp is sweet and tangy at the same time. Eat them by scooping out the fruit with a spoon, or you can cook them in puddings, pastry fillings, fritters, dumplings, fruit-sponge-cake, pies or tarts.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:26-07:00 January 21st, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Dead Stone Pine

This Italian stone pine looks like it's already dead. It's impossible to determine from a photograph what killed a plant. It could have dried up, been kept too wet, gotten girdled by mice, been pierced by a borer etc. It's even hard with a plant right in front of you to diagnose what went wrong once the plant is totally dead.

We assume that you're also wondering about the pinkish covering on parts of this plant, and if that played a role. Again, from this photo it's impossible to know what this is. It could be a form of slime mold - there are slime molds in many colors, and they often grow on dead organic tissue. So if this is indeed a slime mold it probably isn't what killed this plant. But without culturing the substance in a lab it's impossible to know if what you see here is a slime mold or some man-made paint or flocking material.

There are also some fruiting bodies of fungi that are pinkish, but again, impossible to see what's on this stone pine from this photo.

Since this plant appears to already be dead it's probably too late to do some diagnostic work - if the dieback had just started the plant could be taken from its pot to see if rotting roots, or overly dry roots were the cause. You can still look at the base of the trunk for borer holes or girdling bark damage.

By | 2016-01-20T12:58:01-08:00 January 20th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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