The black dots might be aphids - or scale. This dry weather is making everything struggle right now.

It looks fungal to me. Try some Copper and spray the shrubs.

Jane

Thanks Jane. I have never used Copper Fungicide before and was afraid to because it's starting to heat up here in Fla today and wasn't sure if it would burn. I bought some last week. Would it help the trunks? I will read about Copper tonight. Determined not to let this whole row of hedges die. I see some little flies flying around the tops in the morning and was just outside and took a pic of one. I think I read they feed the other bugs? The shine on the leaves is from the Neem oil. Alot of the new baby shoots have little black dots all over them. :(

When I ge(t deformed leaves on plants here in Florida, my first thought (now) is chili thrips.... especially as it starts to warm up. a way to determine if it is chili thrips .... take a white piece of paper and place it under the the deformed leaves (they attack new leaves first - but if you have a bad infestation it will attack the whole plant) and shake it.... if you get little dots on the paper it is chili thrips..... to correct the problem use something that has a high concentration of spionsad (Conserve) and spray NOT in the heat of the day.... normally late at evening or first thing in the morning.... this will get them under control. The spray will kill beneficials .... but only on contact.... in the long run you will probably not want to continue to spray - so as NOT to keep hurting the beneficials and not to get the CT's to be immune to it..... in the future to keep them under control you will want to get some ornamental hot peppers (only certain ones will work because of their under leaf structure..... Masquerade , Red Missile , and/or Explosive Ember . Plant these around your yard. When they start to flower you can purchase and introduce swirskii mites as a biological control. To find the study done by the Florida University google banker plant and swirskii mite.

Good luck.

Wow thanks Sharon. With all the evening reading and digging I haven't read anything relating to this and will try this tomorrow. I will try anything to save them! I will google what you mentioned as well. I finally had the guts to try some copper fungicide yesterday and tested areas to verify it wouldn't burn in this heat we are having. Sprayed it yesterday afternoon at sunset and would also recommend that? Many branches do not look healthy.