Burning bush plants 28 years old dropping leaves - Ask Extension
My burning bush plants have thrived for years but are having problems with dropping leaves this summer. I raked up all the dead ones leaves but ha...
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Burning bush plants 28 years old dropping leaves #878117
Asked July 21, 2024, 1:15 PM EDT
My burning bush plants have thrived for years but are having problems with dropping leaves this summer. I raked up all the dead ones leaves but haven’t applied any chemicals. Two photos are attached, both taken today, July 21. Thanks for your assistance.
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
Hello; Thanks for submitting your garden and landscaping questions to the University of Maryland Ask Extension Service.
Looking closely at your burning bush leaves I see extensive stippling on leaf tissues. Please see this UMd Extension webpage on spider mites on trees and shrubs: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/spider-mites-trees-and-shrubs/
You are not likely to find any replacement burning bush shrubs in Maryland to replace your unhappy plant because burning bush is considered a noxious invasive. Good substitute shrubs are Virginia sweetspire, Aronia arbutifolia chokeberry, Ninebark, and blueberry. All of these shrubs have attractive reddish foliage in the fall. Blueberry has the added advantage of providing food for birds (or you). Talk to a knowledgeable sales associate at a garden center this fall to help you find a replacement shrub for your burning bush.
Thanks; Christopher
Looking closely at your burning bush leaves I see extensive stippling on leaf tissues. Please see this UMd Extension webpage on spider mites on trees and shrubs: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/spider-mites-trees-and-shrubs/
You are not likely to find any replacement burning bush shrubs in Maryland to replace your unhappy plant because burning bush is considered a noxious invasive. Good substitute shrubs are Virginia sweetspire, Aronia arbutifolia chokeberry, Ninebark, and blueberry. All of these shrubs have attractive reddish foliage in the fall. Blueberry has the added advantage of providing food for birds (or you). Talk to a knowledgeable sales associate at a garden center this fall to help you find a replacement shrub for your burning bush.
Thanks; Christopher
