decimation is the loss of one out of every ten ... i know what you mean.. but its not what you said. ..

anyway... many .. if not most yellow plants.. green up as the season wanes ... perhaps you just didnt notice it other years ... due to leaf loss ...

i wouldnt think this is some total reversion.. it usually doenst happen that way .. its usually a branch or trunk.. that slowly takes over.. over a period of many years ... not the whole thing in one season.. a couple of months ...

ken

This shrub is not uniformly yellow :-) It starts out with new growth a bright golden yellow but that will mature to a chartreuse green and develop even more green in late season. Maximum sun exposure will help to maintain the chartreuse color longer.

And ken's remark about decimate only applies to a historical definition. Decimate also means the "killing or destruction of a large group or species" so your usage is perfectly appropriate for losing many leaves to caterpillar predation.

Hey @deanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b. my LC behaves just like yours.

Here it is June 6 2022:

And here it is all "green" today:

In addition to two types of insect damage in the OP (Original Picture) I see snipped off shoot tips - if you did not do this deer in my area will strip planted Physocarpus. Even though I don't recall seeing the local native species P. capitatus damaged. (The named horticultural selections are usually P. malvaceous variants).

Yes, Embothrium! This is the first year I don’t have it stripped by caterpillars, But, I have one single brave deer that walks right down the driveway at night. He’s my first deer problem in over four years so perhaps i sholdn’t complain, but BOY OH BOY can he do lots of damage in one night. I traded in caterpillars for a deer, but at least they aren’t working in tandem.

Yes, Ken, I am definitely using the colloquial version of decimate! And, along those same lines, this foliage is truly ”orders of magnitude” more plentiful than previous years at this time! (Thanks, too, gardengal.)

Thanks to gardengirl and Rouge for settling my mind. Usually this time of year I’m watching new foliage grow on bare limbs and considering it my sacrifice to keep nature healthy.