Timing might point to cold injury. Otherwise, shrubs often defoliate when there is a problem with the roots: too wet, too dry, pathogenic or pest infestation...

As the roots go, so goes the top.

Do a scratch test on your loropetalums. Use your fingernail, a knife, or a pair of hand pruners to scratch the outer layer of bark to expose the cambium layer. If the cambium is green and the twig supple, the plant is probably fine and will recover as spring progresses.

Mine did the same and its because I was overwatering them since the heat in southeast Georgia is brutal. Its still surviving I have about 10 more purplish leaves then I had last year:-)You may want to buy some root stimulator such as Superthrive, Lilly miller vitamin b1 plant starter or Miracle Gro makes some as well. Good luck as I am having some for mine:-)

The Bottom Line
⢠Vitamin B-1, aka thiamine, does not reduce transplant shock or stimulate new root growth on
plants outside the laboratory
⢠A nitrogen fertilizer is adequate for transplanting landscape plants; avoid use of âÂÂtransplant
fertilizersâ that contain phosphate
⢠Healthy plants will synthesize their own thiamine supply
⢠Healthy soils contain beneficial microbes that synthesize thiamine as well
⢠Difficult-to-transplant species may be aided by application of auxin-containing products in
addition to nitrogen, but read the label and donâÂÂt add unnecessary and potentially harmful
chemicals (this includes organics!)
⢠Adequate soil moisture is crucial for new root growth; be sure to irrigate new transplants
frequently and use mulch to reduce evaporation

Here is a link that might be useful: The Myth of Vitamin Stimulants

de·cid·u·ous

diˈsijo͞oəs/

adjective

1. (of a tree or shrub) shedding its leaves annually, they are in a witch hazel family and sometimes/ once a year Loropetalums can loose there leaves. They will come back.

Loropetalum is an evergreen shrub. And while any evergreen plant will from time to time lose or drop older foliage, it will not lose all its leaves at once. If that happens, that is an indication that something is seriously amiss with the plant.

Not sure why it was necessary to resurrect a seven year old thread with that misinformation...........