My butterfly bushes have done the darndest thing this year. Went from green and somewhat chewed by earwigs to brown, dusty, crispy, to BLACK dusty very crispy leaves. A few very pathetic looking growing tips and the rest, alas, is toast.

I watered the uppermost bush deeply and the lowermost one (much younger and smaller) went from 'only healthy looking one' to 'crunch' in three days. :( Hasn't been particularly hot.

There *is* a gopher hole under there, and the chickens have been dustbathing around and under that upper bush...?

Ideas welcome!

(And welcome back Ladobe!! I thought you'd left for good and missed you!! Welcome home!)