Rose of Sharon Hedge: Wood Rot Fungus on One Plant

Diagnosis

Orange pencil-tip dots on bark of dead plant = fruiting bodies of wood rot fungus. Likely present in adjacent plants but not yet visible.

Remove dead plant.
Fertilize remaining hedge to boost health.
Hire arborist to assess hedge—fungus doesn't kill directly; something else caused decline.

Shrubs: Rose of Sharon Repeatedly Failing? Check Watering and Soil Prep; Unknown Bush Similar to Rose of Sharon – Genetic Variation; Mixed Hedge Design for 100 Feet of Privacy in Chicago; Planting Rose of Sharon Near Shallow Buried Utility Line; When to Prune Rose of Sharon: Fall vs. Late Winter; Transplanting a Mature Rose of Sharon: Timing and Technique; Diagnosing Partial Leaf-Out in Mature Rose of Sharon Shrubs; Flowering Hedge Options for Coastal Florida (Zone 10a); Rose of Sharon Late-Season Yellowing: Fertilizer Response; Rose of Sharon: Hardy, Hummingbird-Friendly Shrub

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