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We have 10 Dwarf Japanese Hollies and all of them look fine, except for one. There is one that has 1/2 brown leaves and the other half is green. I'm worried that the others will be infected. Do you know what it could be...pest or fungus?
by The Plant Doc on September 03, 2005 08:12 PM
Ilex is usually pretty resistant to diseases, so my guess would be that it is some type of an insect or mechanical damage to the plant or root system. Check the base of the plant to see if there is any bark missing due to voles or weed whackers. Has anything been dug up in the area of the plant that could have disturbed its root system? Is it possible that something may have been poured near the plant that could have damaged it (gasoline, cleaning solutions etc...)?
One critter that does enjoy ilex is spider mites. They are very small and hard to see, the best way to tell if you have them is to take a piece of paper and hold it under the plant while you shake the plant vigorously, then examine the paper for any which may have fallen off.