Q: Our holly "tree" on the southwest corner started going south last summer, perhaps after that severe winter freeze. It also appears to be in critical condition. Thoughts?
A: In looking at the pictures you've sent I see a lot of bark sloughing off and major cracks in the trunk. I had a similar problem with some large loropetalum. That is a result of winter damage. You have two choices: cut them way back and retrain from sprouts at the base, or plant something new.
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Q: Some of our foundation holly shrubs on the north side have been struggling for a few years. My spouse has been spraying them for mites or leaf miners but they continue to wane. Any advice?
A: There appears to be a good amount of new growth, judging from the pictures you sent. The leaves appear fairly clean. Try giving the plants an application of fertilizer to help with a darker green foliage color. See what happens. You can also take samples of foliage and soil to your county extension office for advice.
Q: Could you identify this very old and huge shrub that grows in my neighbor's yard? [The reader sent a photo.]
A: The plant in question is a Chinese photinia. A predecessor of the red-tip photinia, Photinia serrulate or Chinese photinia will grow as large as 20 feet tall and wide. The plant is covered in clusters of white flowers in the spring that do have a strong fragrance. My son nicknamed it "the stinky shrub" as a child. It is much more resistant to the leaf-spotting disease that has caused the decline of the red-tip hedges, but the mature size is typically too large for a home landscape.
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Q: I have always covered up the daylilies when they start to bud and have been successful at saving them from the deer herd that populates Butterfield Trail Village. This year they ate all the foliage before there were any signs of buds. Is it possible they will still bloom; Are the buds still forming underground? Help!
A: Daylilies can sometimes be eaten by deer or hurt by a late hard freeze, but they usually rebound and will still produce blooms. The early damage can limit how many blooms appear this season, but as long as you can protect the plants from more foraging, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the amount of blooms you get. The first flowers could be a bit delayed, but fertilize your plants lightly and keep them watered, and I suspect you will still get a good show.
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Q: We have a camellia that consistently grows well but the buds drop before they fully open. Do you have any suggestions?
A: There are a couple of possible reasons for camellia buds to drop before opening. Large fluctuations in temperature or moisture can cause some buds to fall, but that usually doesn't affect them all. This year, late freezing weather caused some buds to drop before opening. Camellia bud mites cause buds to develop slowly and either open late or fall off before opening. If you still have some intact buds, take a few to your local county extension office and let them send them to the disease diagnostic lab to see if the lab can find any problems.
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Q: My crape myrtles on the west side were severely damaged in that deep cold spell we experienced during the winter of 2020-21. They have some kind of infection now perhaps. Is it time for crape murder?
A: It is never time for crape murder. That being said, watch how they leaf out this spring and do corrective pruning as needed. The infection that you see (the white specks on the bark) is an insect called crape myrtle bark scale. It will continue to encroach if left unchecked and eventually will give off so much honeydew that the trunk will turn black. Systemic insecticides applied around the tree now can kill the insects. Apply at the rates recommended on the label.
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DEAR READERS: The Central Arkansas Iris Society will have its annual Iris and Art Show from 1-4 p.m. April 30 at Unitarian Universalist Church, 1818 Reservoir Road in Little Rock. They do request that guests wear a mask. The show is free to the public.
Retired after 38 years with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Janet Carson ranks among Arkansas' best known horticulture experts. Her blog is at arkansasonline.com/planitjanet. Write to her at P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, AR 72203 or email jcarson@arkansasonline.com