I'm not sure where else to ask this--maybe abutilons are not really related to regular Japanese maples--but here goes:

I have 2 10+ year old, mature floriferous yellow abutilon. Out of the blue a few months ago one of them, about 8' tall, very suddenly appeared to die. I screwed its drip emitter down to stop the water. Leaves turned yellow then died as did its flowers. Now it *looks* dead, but when I prune some of the outer branches, there is still some green around the center.

Anyone had experience with this? Could it be root rot? What are the s & s of root rot? I'm trying to decide if I should dig it up and toss it, or let it go till spring to see if it comes back.

Your thoughts and input are appreciated.

Karen