Rhododendron Decline: Dried Flowers, Droopy Leaves, and Possible Borer

Judie's rhododendron bloomed but flowers dried on the plant; now the whole shrub looks droopy with brown leaves underneath. Soil is damp (irrigated every other night), and fertilizer was applied in spring.

Potential Causes

• Root rot (too wet) or drought stress (too dry) — check soil moisture below mulch.
• Nematodes attacking roots.
• Rhododendron borer: Caterpillars tunnel in branches, causing wilting, off‑color leaves, and dieback. Detect by cutting open wilted stems. Treat with permethrin in May/June.

See American Rhododendron Society for more.