Shrubs

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Butterfly Bush

Your flowering shrub is likely a butterfly bush, a sub shrub in your area and can die back to the ground when in areas with cold winters. This by itself is not a problem because many people cut it back to the ground in spring. There are two reasons why they might not make it through the winter. One, the soil might be getting too cold. Provide winter protection such as a mound of chopped leaves around the base of each plant. They should be hardy in your area and such protection shouldn't be necessary, but perhaps it is windy there. Two, the soil could be too wet, causing the roots to rot. It is very difficult to correct drainage problems after plants are in the ground. Applying an organic mulch around each plant at least as wide as the shrub, and maybe wider, will eventually improve drainage as the mulch rots each year and adds organic matter to the soil. You may want to consult a horticulturist at a local garden center or botanic garden in case there is a local problem with these shrubs that we don't know about. It is a lovely butterfly and bird magnet.

By | 2016-01-10T11:52:11-08:00 January 10th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Difficulty Seeing Damage

I can see the yellow spots on your azalea leaves but the shot is too far away to tell much about it. Since all the spots look yellow, not brown, it appears that this damage has happened recently which argues against fungal problems. A fungus would show up a little at a time, and some of the spots would be brown while others would be yellow turning to brown. So this might be damage caused by something hitting the plant's leaves such as a cleaning product, herbicide, liquid fertilizer etc. If you clip off the worst of the leaves it will be easier to monitor if whatever caused the damage has come and gone.

These spots are too large to be lace-bug damage, which is the most common insect that feeds on azaleas. If the damage continues by all means send us another photo or two of a closeup of two or three leaves. Look to see if there is anything on the underside of these leaves and should you see anything like an insect send us a photo. Be sure that when this plant is watered that no hot water spray from a sun-heated hose hits the foliage before the water runs cold again.

By | 2016-01-10T01:51:22-08:00 January 10th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Deadwood On Rosemary

This is common for rosemary that have some age, especially if its never been pruned; the "inner" growth gets shaded out by the newer growth and doesn't receive enough sunlight so it begins to drop its leaves in the inner part of the shrub, only growing leaves and new growth on the mid to upper branches. You can prune this shrub back and it will rejuvinate to some extent, however avoid pruning back (cutting the stems) of the oldest, thickest stems as this will not likely produce new growth. You can cut the shrub back to almost half the length of the thinner, middle to upper stems. (Its ok to prune back the stems that originate from the older, thicker stems, just don't cut the old/thick stems). Pruning should be done now (ideally in early spring in your area), before any more hot temps and dry air come to your area. Make sure the plant is watered well before pruning so it won't struggle to produce new growth. However, rosemary are fairly drought tolerant and should not be watered too frequently. It could also be that this plant is not getting enough water to allow it to maintain the growth of the middle inner branches, so make sure it does get watered once a month or so, and watered deeply (rather than just shallow penetration of water).

By | 2016-01-09T12:38:49-08:00 January 9th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Devils Walking Stick

Deviläó»s walking stick or Hercules club gets its common name from the stout, sharp spines found on its leaf stalks, stems and branches. This is a large, upright, suckering, deciduous shrub that typically grows to 10-15äó» tall, but infrequently grows as a small flat topped tree to as much as 35äó» tall. It is native and is commonly found in wood margins, fields and pastures. Its spreading, suckering, colonizing habit, can be like sumac or bamboo, therefore the plant must be planted cautiously or it can become a monster in the landscape. Interesting compound foliage, late summer flowers, juicy black fruit and spiny stems give this shrub distinctive and unique ornamental interest. Best utilized in infrequently traveled areas where contact with the plant spines are unlikely to harm passersby. Plants can appear coarse in winter, but the compound foliage, flowers, fruit and general plant habit lend diversity and interest during the growing season. Good for shrub borders, woodland margins and remote areas of the landscape where it can be allowed to spread. Native plant areas.

By | 2016-01-08T16:06:58-08:00 January 8th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Native Azalea

There are over 800 species in the genus Rhododendron, some say 1000! Azaleas are are included in the genus Rhododendron. Rhododendrons are native to many parts of the world, both tropical and temperate. The more hardy types are found in China, Japan, and eastern and western North America. In the US, the culture of rhododendrons is best in eastern areas and the Pacific Northwest.
These hybrids exhibit elliptic to oblong, mid-green leaves to 3 inches in length that will remain on the 4- to 8-foot-tall plants until late autumn in our milder zones. With a bit of chill, leaves will color up in the fall before dropping. Lax trusses of 18 to 30 funnel-shaped, 2- to 3-inch flowers are coaxed out as the weather warms in late April or early May. One look at the "flame" colors and you realize this azalea likes more sun than its evergreen cousins.
Exbury azaleas are most effectively used as focal points in your garden, either singly or massed together with different shadings of color. Given the color range, they can blend with similar warm colors in a plot or be used as a single splash of vibrant color. They are attractive to pollinators.

By | 2016-01-07T14:57:20-08:00 January 7th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Yellowing Camellia Foliage

Camellia japonica is a very tough plant in the landscape which is why so many people love them. However they have a great habit of telling you that they are unhappy with something culturally in a very visible way. This can be due to a number of factors that you can check for yourself and either see that this IS or IS NOT the root cause of what the plant is trying to tell you.
1) Camellia japonica prefers the cool morning light of an either eastern or northern exposure where they won't fry in the hot afternoon sun. In that case you would see sun scald on the foliage and distinct yellowing on the sunny side of the plant and more green on the shaded side.
2) They prefer well drained, but moist soil in the summer so they can keep nice cool roots. A 1-2" application of compost, top dressed with a light bark mulch is ideal to help moisture retention in summer. Drainage and good air circulation helps to keep common airborne diseases at bay like "Blackspot" which can be a routine NW problem for Camellia.
3) Fertilizing in spring, once per year with an organic granular rhododendron food will help the foliage stay a deep green, provide additional micronutrients and help the plant avoid other stress like diseases. Just like vitamins for people!
4) Insects love to chew on stressed plants. By following the above directions, Camellia can avoid many insect problems easily.

By | 2016-01-06T20:20:41-08:00 January 6th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Winter Damage Daphne

This was a brutal winter for many plants. At this point, people with winter-damaged shrubs are in a "wait and see" mode. If it was only the leaves that were toasted by the combination of wind, cold, and snow the plant should drop the dead leaves and put out new foliage as soon as the soil warms enough to give the shrub the "Grow!" signal. Once that happens you will see new, green growth from any of the stems that are still alive. At that point you can cut off the tops of the twigs and branches that are not producing leaves. Any stems that don't have new growth by the end of May are pretty much gone, and at that point you can decide if the amount of live leaves and stems are worth saving or if this is a plant that should be replaced. (It's OK to thank a plant for its willingness and then dig it up and put it in the compost. Many severely winter-damaged plants in natural areas are soon overtaken by the stronger survivors...we gardeners should never hesitate to take the same actions that Mother Nature does and get rid of the plants that have the most winter injury.)

Although you could give this plant a light application of an organic fertilizer and a top-dressing of composted manure, you can wait and do this once the "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" signal has been given. Neither fertilizer nor compost will significantly help a severely damaged plant.

By | 2016-01-06T15:52:48-08:00 January 6th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Camellia Leaf Browning

Its hard to say as there could be more than one issue here, and more than one cause. Camellias like moist soil, but can easily be over watered in CA soils (especially if you have heavy clay soil). If fertilizer has been applied recently, it could be a nutrient toxicity (or salt burn. Fertilizers are salts and if applied in excess or not watered into the soil sufficiently for dissolving there could be a build-up of salts around the roots). We also notice there's water on the leaves, which can spread disease, especially if the plant canopy is dense and air circulation is poor. We recommend not watering over-head and pruning if necessary to increase air movement in and around the plant canopy. Could also be poor drainage of water away from the roots, which can cause root rot issues, and consequently poor nutrient uptake. If fertilizer has not been applied, you may consider asking your local garden center for an appropriate fertilizer. Camellia's like an acidic soil pH (which can also cause nutrient issues if the pH is too high - which is typical in CA soils). Here's some info from UC that may help: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/PLANTS/camellia.html

By | 2016-01-05T17:59:56-08:00 January 5th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Barbados Nut Plant

This appears to be Jatropha curcas and is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, that is native to the American tropics, most likely Mexico and Central America. it produces coral-red flowers during the warm season. Give it full sun or part shade (more light makes more flowers) and well-drained soil. Can be grown as a dramatic, longlived houseplant where it is not hardy. Provide a brightly lit location and water when the top of the soil feels just dry. Fertilize monthly and repot annually until it is as large as you want. Then root prune every 3 years and repot into the same container with fresh soil. It is in the Euphorbia family which is composed with species of varying toxicity. Although there are some sources that recommend this plant for medicinal properties we cannot recommend this plant be ingested or used in any medicinal way. Some people are more sensitive than others to the the white milky sap. Can cause severe rash and may injure eyes. Always seek professional medical advice before attempting to use plants for therapeutic value.

By | 2016-01-05T16:33:51-08:00 January 5th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Leaf Burn On Rhododendron

Leaf scorch on rhododendrons is a response to stress. Water stress can occur under both extremes of flooded, overly-saturated soils or under drought conditions when too little water is present. Root or stem damage due to disease or transplant shock can also cause scorch symptoms. High soil pH and exposure to drying winds are other possible causes of leaf scorch. Too much salt in soil or irrigation water, or using large amounts of inorganic fertilizers, or a combination of all three can cause symptoms as well.

Symptoms include browning of tips or margins of leaves, with the damage sometimes spreading to the center of the leaf. The south/southwest side of the plant is the most likely to be damaged by direct sunlight, but plantings also might be damaged by reflected sunlight.

Correct alkaline soil pH by adding organic matter or sulfur to make it more acidic. An easy way to do this is to switch from the Osmocote to a fertilizer specifically formulated for Azaleas/Rhodies.

Provide adequate soil moisture by irrigation where dry soil is a problem. If boggy conditions are at fault, it may be necessary to relocate the plant or to use raised beds.

Shelter susceptible plants from drying winds, either with other plantings or by planting near structures.

By | 2016-01-05T02:36:02-08:00 January 5th, 2016|Shrubs|2 Comments
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