Bottle Brush Shrub

I have a 6' Bottle Brush shrub that blooms red. Last year it was so beautiful and the butterflies and hummers loved it. This spring it looks totally dead. All the leaves are brown. I can't tell yet if it is going to come back out or not.

What do you experienced gardeners thing???? I live in zone 8b. We did have a hard winter for our area this years.

Dancey

It is very hardy and it should be just fine. My whites haven't near begun to leaf out, and the reds are earlier.

Do I just leave the whole plant as is? Not take the dead leaves off or cut it back? Right now it's just as is.


Dancey