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Did you have a cold winter? Have you been poking around in the soil to make sure the original soil balls they came with have stayed moist the whole time, and not been either too dry or too wet? Any chemical usage in the vicinity, including road salt?

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We did have a colder-than-usual winter with lots of snow. I don't know of any chemical usage other than perhaps road salt, but the road is quite a ways away from the trees. I haven't really poked inside to see the root ball - I know NOTHING about this so I wouldn't know anything about a root ball by looking at it :) What to do?

Any that might be able to grow back later would surely benefit from mulching, if cold injury was the problem and not something pathenogenic or otherwise able to interfere with recovery during the coming growing season - mulching them at planting last fall might have reduced the damage as well.

If you can take samples to a nearby Virginia Cooperative Extension office they can probably figure it out.

Don't worry that is mostly frost damage- hollies always shed a lot in the winter- this year more than usual. I would put up with the sad picture for a while and when it is really warm I would pluck them off , wear gloves. This does not look so bad to me at all- and I have some myself- the wind blew them all into my pond- great fun that was.

Thank you both! So there is hope they wouldn't die if we fertilize, mulch and continue with watering when needed?

The copper is typical after a hard cold winter. The snow doesn't do it as much as the cold does. UNLESS there is a long lasting snowpack then the cold ground might.

I've had mine turn copper like that then comes back as it is now in the Spring. Recovery time depends how hard they got hit. The burn mark is not weather related...that looks like over fertilizing.

I NEVER fertilize when plants/trees are stressed. They need to be neutralized either naturally or lightly. Forget the Holly tone for now. Let them color up first and rebound.

One thing you can do is scratch the bark at the bottom, if there is green underneath the bark ITS ALIVE...don't do anything... If there's no green its dead.

Good luck... Give them another month before fertilizing IMO

The fridge cold of this past winter turned my 1.5 yr holly leaves brown, there is new growth at the bottom sprouting out. Do I cut the stem with the brown leaves down to where the new growth is or will the brown leaves just shed on their own and produce new stems eventually? Thank you.

Scratch the stem. If there's green its alive. If not cut it down to where the new growth starts. I leave an inch or two always. leaves will fall on there own but you can pluck them off.

Sounds lie al of us went through the same thing this year. What a winter!

I also have young plants that were covered with snow for awhile and while not brown the leaves are gray and looking dead or damaged. Do I pull the leaves off, prune the branches or just leave it alone. Thanks form the squirrel

I just bought my Nellie and when putting it in grown noticed leaves were not glossy but looked rusty..it's still looks in great shape with green balls..can I wash the leaves off with soapy water or should I take it back ? It is 3 to4 it wasc$45
ft tall.