Have you applied aluminum sulfate recently to the shrub? Have you check the soil Ph Level? Nova Zembla can be very sensitive so I was wondering if some ammendment has been added recently to the soil. Luis

I haven't applied anything to the soil. They were just planted in early June and unfortunately I wasn't here when the landscapers planted so I didn't see what ammendments they might have made to the soil. So the yellow branches are normal or not?

Your plant looks perfectly healthy to me. Green, becoming yellow, later turning to brown, or mahoghany red, even an orange cast are not unusual stem colors. Be concerned if your leaves begin to turn yellow :)

Thanks for the reassurance morz8. I was kind of thinking the same thing, that maybe the branches are just turning to brown. There is one other Rhododendron on my property that was already here, off on its own, and the branches are all brown and it flowered this year. I checked each plant last night and I see small buds on each one which is also reassuring I guess.

Hello! I had the same situation with my Rhododendron, but its bottom leaves become yellow too. Leaves pure, without spots. Generally it looks healthy (see photo).

This is how it looks inside...

Yellowing, then dropping of oldest leaves is normal for rhododendrons, a natural part of the yearly growth cycle. Most evergreens will naturally drop their older needles or leaves (closest to the trunk) after a number of years, making the term "evergreen" plant misleading :) Leaf drop usually occurs in the summer or early fall when the leaves are approx three years old. This period of leaf drop occurs following the maturing of the current season's growth - it's nothing for you to be concerned about.

Thank you so much! We have not enough information on cultivation of rhododendrons in our country! :)