Hi, 

Unfortunately  when the plant is this far gone and dehydrated, we are unable to really know what the culprit could have been. Root rot is a possibility from too much water, as is under-watering. Moisture meters might not be reliably accurate. We haven't ran any tests on them to know for sure. Is there a roof overhang from the building? Even with the spring rains it could have been staying mostly dry if there is something overhead.

Root rot can also occur on moisture-loving species if the soil pH (acidity level) or microbial community is off. You can have a laboratory soil test done to determine the pH level of the soil, but there is not a way to test for microbial activity. A soil test my be helpful though if that is the plant of choice and it has failed twice now. If the pH is not acidic enough, which might be due to the location by the building foundation, then root-rotting pathogens can take advantage of stressed roots.

The morning sun while not as strong as afternoon may be heating up the brick wall and sidewalk enough to be too much for this plant species too. 

Lyonia lucida looks a bit different than these leaves, and it's pretty rare in the nursery trade Might this be a Leucothoe instead? Both can go by the common name of Fetterbush. 

Let us know if you have further questions or would like assistance reading the lab report and determining the best plant for that space.

Emily

Yes, sorry, I meant  Leucothoe! 

Thanks for the reply. 

Tim







On Wednesday, July 10, 2024 at 04:02:52 PM EDT, Ask Extension <ask> wrote:</ask>