Some winter leaf drop is normal with older leaves. You may also have entomosporium leaf spot if they are dropping too many leaves.

Here is a link with pictures of the disease and lots of good information.

Here is a link that might be useful: Entomosporium leaf spot

Thanks for the link.....Hopefully I can save them!

We had some very cold temperatures this winter. Freeze injury could also be an issue. Look for splitting twigs and main trunk (near the soil level) a bit later this spring. Even when I lived in a much warmer location that now, we used to check the Rapheolepis for injury if the temperatures dropped very low.

Defoliation could also be caused by something as basic as planting the shrubs too deeply or filling the hole with all kinds of amendments. Also, does this site drain well and get plenty of sunlight?

Unless you've seen the tell tale spots, don't initiate any fungicidal applications. The foliage only drops when the disease is fairly advanced. It's always very visible.

Good points, all. Especially the "wet feet" potential if planted too deep or in soil that doesn't drain. We have had a good bit of rain over the winter so this is definitely a good possibility.

I saw some today near Calera that looked like they had suffered some damage from very cold winter temps. Hopefully that's all it is.

I have taken some photos of a few of the worst ones. I would like to post them along with this but can't figure out how to do it......I would like to email them to any of you that think you can help with identifing my problem..and thanks for the suggestions thus far.

You can upload the photos on photobucket.com and post the link, then you'll get lots of opinions, I'm sure! Take some close ups of the leaves. Can you describe the leaves?

Hopefully this will work.....this is supposed to be the link to photos of the problem.
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Yikes! That's Entomosporium, all right.

Some of the factors that create the right circumstances for this disease to occur are poor drainage, excess overhead watering (or too much rain), poor sunlight penetration and air circulation. Also, some cultivars of Rapheolepis are resistant to Entomosporium and others are prone to infection.

If these were my plants, I'd cut the entire plant back to 6 inch stumps, rake away all of the mulch and fallen debris, and be prepared to treat the new growth as it appears with an appropriate fungicide. A new dressing of mulch can be applied once everything has been cleared away.

I'd also wait for a year before fertilizing these shrubs.

That's what I would do. Others may have some good ideas, as well.

Boy, is that Entomosporium leaf spot. That is a tough disease to control. I would yank them and plant something resistant, but that is just me. It can't hurt to cut them back, but I do know back in the Photinia day, the experts were telling us in the industry to dip our pruning shears in 10% bleach water between each cut or we would just spread it as we cut. I honestly, personally, wouldn't waste money and time on fungicides, use that money toward replacement plants and buy something resistant to plant in this area as spores could be present in the soil. If you do try to treat it, most experts recommend alternating between a contact fungicide and a systemic one.

If try and cut them back or to control the leaf spot, I'd love to hear how they fair. Good luck!