03/22/2025
Well, Mother Nature has struck again. A couple of winters ago we had a few days of extreme cold weather that led to a lot of damage to flower buds. This past winter it appears that some Rhododendrons and other evergreens may have suffered winter damaged. In the last few weeks, while being on a few properties, I’ve noticed that some rhododendrons have leaves that are curled and have a brownish tinge to them while other leaves are flourishing. Most of this damage is random. While a few branches may have been injured on a plant, the rest are healthy. You can even find one rhododendron right next to another that is significantly damaged and the other perfectly healthy.
This is most likely winter injury. Broadleaf evergreens, such as rhododendrons, lose water through their leaves even in winter, when the weather is warm and sunny, or during periods of high winds. I’m leaning towards wind for this past winter. Because the ground is frozen, the roots can’t take up water to replace what is lost in the leaves. The leaves will then curl, droop and start turning brown.
What to do. If you do have damage, let the dead leaves drop and clean them up. Leave the branches, do not cut them back. This will be unsightly and most will want to just cut the “dead” branches back. But in my experience, and I have experienced this before, leave them until the end of June. Some, not all branches, may recover and produce new growth. If there is no new growth by the end of June, then most likely the entire branch is dead. Go ahead and remove the dead branches.
All evergreens are susceptible to this damage, so don’t be surprised if you see this later in the spring as plants come out of dormancy. I am already seeing some damage to azaleas, mountain laurels and andromedas.
