Leaf damage - Ask Extension
Pictures of attached of Laurel bushes north side of my house concerned about the leaf damage please advise thank you
Knowledgebase
Leaf damage #925581
Asked March 07, 2026, 4:00 PM EST
Pictures of attached of Laurel bushes north side of my house concerned about the leaf damage please advise thank you
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
Winterburn (the winter leaf damage you're seeing) is widespread this year, since the prolonged freezes during winter and ongoing drought have deprived evergreen shrubs and trees of enough moisture to keep their leaves hydrated. Brown leaves will fall off on their own later this season, but can be pruned off if you want. Be sure not to trim the actual branch, however, unless you're certain it too has died (which doesn't appear to be the case here), since often there are undamaged dormant leaf buds on the branch that will fill back in later in spring. (While pruning live branches back isn't always a problem, it can remove flower buds for spring-blooming shrubs like azalea and jasmine, and it can set a shrub back in growth if it's a slow grower.)
Miri
Miri
