If it is a cherry, probably one of the many diseases that loves the prunus genus! The way the dead leaves look, reminds me of verticulum wilt. It could also be fire blight. If V wilt, probably beyond saving.

Thanks Logan! From reading, I'm guessing it is probably verticillum wilt. Too bad, it was a pretty bush where it is. First, I'll cut off and burn the dead sections. But then, I've been trying to figure out where to put a large Pussywillow I need to move, and I see Salix are VW resistant.... Vince

Hi Ken! Yep, you said it, transplanted about 4-5 years ago, has done really well.

Vince

I really like some of the ornamental prunus. The reason I discourage people from planting them is because of what you are experiencing here.

you have two choices ....

one .. hook it back up to your bumper and drag it back where you found it.. lol ...

or.. two .... just go prune out all the dead and uglies ... and see what happens in spring .... if it doesnt recover.. get rid of it.. see option one above .. lol ..

what ever happened to that tri color???

ken

you could trim out the dead. You need to sterilize your pruning tools afterwards, or you will spread the disease. If it dies out more, add a little gas and light it up. You could always collect some seeds and replant new ones, making sure to implement a spraying program.

i never replaced a problematic plant ... too many other options to keep banging your head on a wall.. trying to grow the same old problematic plant ...

ken

I'm going to be lazy for now and prune out what is dead, throw it on the burn pile and see how the rest does this fall. More than likely I will dig the rest of it out and replace it with the pussywillow when I have time to dig that out and drag it around.

Tricolor Beech is doing just fine, but isn't growing very quickly. I'm anxious to see how it does next year.

Vince

good plan. make sure to burn wood right away.