Question
I have several rhododendrons in my backyard, and all are thriving except for one. All of the plants were planted about 4 years ago, and have done well. This one rhodendron, however, started to droop over the past month. It now has the buds growing on most of the stems, but all of the leaves are brown or yellow and are drooping. Is the plant dead? Or is there a chance it will come back in the spring? What is wrong with it?
Cheryl
Corte Madera
Answer
The symptoms you describe on your Rhododendron can be caused by a few things. Drooping leaves are an indication of root rot or crown rot. If the plant is buried too deeply or stays water saturated too long, the leaves will droop. If the temperatures drop below 35 and the soil is not wet enough, the leaves can turn brown and droop due to desiccation from cold. Some varieties of Rhododendron are more affected by cold than others. Sometimes gophers can be a problem. There is also a chance that Sudden Oak Death spores have infected the plant. I am concerned about the fact that the leaves are brown and yellow. Were they this color before the leaves began to droop? I would suggest that you aerate the soil around this plant to improve drainage and water penetration. If the soil is dryish, even after the rain, I would water. DO NOT feed the plant as this will often exacerbate a problem in an already stressed plant. You may want to dig up the plant and replant it again in a higher position. This will also give you the opportunity to examine the roots. If they are blackened, you have root rot and the plant will unlikely survive. If the plant has been cold damaged, it will rebound again in the spring. Hope this helps.
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