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I have multiple of these trees and one of them seems "sick" - it barely has any leaves and there is some discoloration on it.

Is there anything I can do to treat it or do I basically have to rip it out and plant a new one?

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Niall C.
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Dandan
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  • Where do you live? Know anything of the history of the trees – kevinskio Aug 17 '15 at 00:47
  • When you say 'tree' the photo appears to show a shrub rather than a tree - do you know what it is? Or have you ever seen anything which might help identify it such as flowers or seeds, whether it drops its leaves in winter? – Bamboo Aug 17 '15 at 12:40
  • I live in Souther California. Unfortunately I do not even know what these trees are called. But I have several of them, and this one is different for some reason. – Dandan Aug 17 '15 at 13:34

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I think it might be an Osmanthus, or tea olive I think you call them there. It appears to have some sort of advanced fungal infection - I can't tell whether its a problem at the root such as anthracnose affecting the whole plant, or something aerial such as Phytophthera. Either way, its not looking good - I'd be inclined to remove it asap, also ensuring you don't leave any of those dead leaves lying about, and removing and, if possible, burning all plant material, including the roots. The only trouble is, without a correct diagnosis, you don't really know how safe it is to replant in the same spot.

As you're in the States, I think you may have something called a Local Extension Office or service - I'm not sure how they work, or what they are, really, we don't have anything like it here, but there might be somewhere you can send a sample to have the problem correctly diagnosed.

Bamboo
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  • I am in the States, yes. Isn't burning it a bit extreme? – Dandan Aug 19 '15 at 21:02
  • Not if its phytophthera or anthracnose, these are serious fungal infections for which there is no cure and which can and do infect other plants. Certainly, the parts should not be composted or left in planted areas. – Bamboo Aug 21 '15 at 10:30
  • Someone at a nursery told me that it's just mold from over-watering. Does that make any sense? – Dandan Aug 21 '15 at 17:20
  • Ha ha, made me smile - 'just mould from overwatering' might conceivably equate with' fungal infection which is worse in damp conditions', but it is rather understating the problem... – Bamboo Aug 21 '15 at 17:35
  • They seemed to think the problem would go away if I water it less and spray it with some anti-fungal. Does that make any sense? – Dandan Aug 21 '15 at 18:06
  • If its phytophthera or anthracnose, anti fungal treatment will have no impact. But go ahead and try if you want to, if it isn't either of those, it might make some difference. – Bamboo Aug 21 '15 at 18:33