If you don't have a lawn question, I suggest you post to a shrub forum to get good advice.

If we had pictures of 15 dying shrubs I'd say you might have something to worry about. But with just a few, it's anyone's guess as to the cause and it doesn't seem to be an alarming amount. Things die. Replace or remodel.

@Yardvaark Thanks for the reply. Do you have any general shrub maintenance recommendations? Is there anything I should be doing on an annual basis? Is it not alarming that three 'thorny bushes' died in one season in the same bed?

@redesign i am in SE Wisconsin. Winter was indeed harsh, but shrubs have been slowly dying for three years. Is there anything preventative I can do?

Most of what you named above is pretty hardy and shouldn't have too much trouble with a standard winter.

But, as noted, sometimes things get old and...well, die. Even plants. Sometimes it's just a part, as you've shown, and a regeneration cut or removing the dead wood is enough to renew the bush.

Sometimes they're dead and have to be replaced.

Fifteen years is about right to have to start replacing or at least working on shrubs (some of mine require yearly work and that's just the way they are, some others take care of themselves for the most part).

Start by cutting out the dead parts and seeing if the shrub comes back. You can certainly spring feed any shrub with any decent plant food, including Miracle Gro, your lawn food (if it doesn't contain an herbicide!), shrub food, Milorganite, soybean meal, or a host of other organic foods. Don't bother to feed earlier than when the shrub has put out and pretty fully developed its leaves, it's not really interested in breakfast earlier than that. For flowering spring shrubs, wait until after it flowers.

Stop feeding any shrub at least six to eight weeks before first frost to allow growth plenty of time to slow, and then to harden off for winter.

Shrubs are not heavy feeders, so unless you're looking to encourage massive growth or repair, one feeding a year is generally sufficient.

You can always remove dead wood any time it is available. If there's a lot of it, you can cut the whole plant down and start over with all new growth. (Except for junipers and a few other things.) If a plant is profoundly misshapen, I would be inclined to cut it down and do a better job of shaping it on the rebound.

We had a brutal winter and your losses are not extreme. Cut out the dead and see what's left.

tj

If you want identifications you need to post close ups of foliage. There are an awful lot of 'thorny shrubs'.

Could it be salt damage? They all appear to be near driveways and walkways.

all dead material should be properly pruned out.. just cut back to live tissue ... most of them will look a lot better.. with just that ...

none of them need fert ... they are not children.. they dont need to be fed ...

we need closer pix for an ID... but i would bet on barberry for the prickly ones .. the yellow one... lol .. you find your best info with the latin name ... but i am being lazy ... lol ... flip to the web side to find such ...

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=barberry&t=ffcm&iax=images&ia=images

replace those with something better .... anything .. lol .. dad planted them next to my basketball hoop ... i was the only kid who bled when i shot hoops ...

burning bush is invasive in many areas.. dont be surprised if it is suggested you just get rid of it ...

the low spreader is a juniper.. if that sidewalk was salted.. perhaps that is what happened to it ... its a conifer.. ergo a tree.. so it will grow back in slow motion .;.. compared to shrubs.. or other plants ...

dont freak out.. and just remove the dead stuff.. and be done.. dont overreact ...

ken

I would look at this as an opportunity to do some landscaping revision. Both the burning bush and the Japanese barberry (the yellow thorny shrubs) are regulated invasive plant species in WI, so the planting of these is highly discouraged. There are scores of other, equally attractive alternates that could be used in their place and that could be more tolerant of tough winter conditions.

As to why the current plants are dying off, I'd put winter cold damage at the top of the list, possibly combined with road or deicing salt. Next would be a water issue - either drought/no irrigation or poor drainage and too much water. You would need to determine which condition seems the most reasonable for your location and then select new plants that will accommodate these conditions.

And feel free to ignore the comment about fertilizing :-) It is not even close to being accurate!! Plants that have been in place in cultivated garden for an extended period and without benefit of a regular organic mulch can indeed be helped by fertilization, as they have likely used up whatever soil nutrients might have been available. Replenishing soil nitrogen is typically at the top of the list as it is the one used in the greatest quantity and also the least stable/most mobile. It is almost always lacking. Any all purpose granular garden fertilizer will work, applied as per label instructions, annually in spring as new growth begins. May not need to do so every year.....it's a bit of a monitor and watch how the plants behave situation or get a soil test to confirm. Also, mulching routinely with a good organic mulch (shredded bark, composted leaves or garden compost, etc.) will go a long way to supplement and replenish the soil nutrients.

I'm in the Chicagoland area, we ALL lost a ton of shrubs this winter. Burning bushes were notorious around here for not surviving. I'd say don't blame yourself this year, the winter was too harsh in the Midwest.