We have a walkway that we lined with loropetalum about 4 years ago in the spring. I think they are the Ever Red variety but I'm not 100% sure. They were growing quite nicely and had reached about 3 feet tall with a small pruning each year.
But this past winter/early spring we found one of them broken off at the base, just lying on the ground. A bit later two more came to the same fate. When found they still had lots of healthy looking leaves on them, so they hadn't really died before this happened.
They are planted in full sun and for some reason they seem to be growing away from the sun. In the early spring it was like they had no new growth on the sun side. The main trunk of them is actually bent over a bit in the way it is growing (again away from the sun). Hard to explain.
The other 6 seem to be doing better now. Some of the branches have grown even on the other side.
Any ideas as to what would cause them to break off like that?
Newbie with a question
Other than something hitting the branches, I can't think of any reason for the b ranches to break off. Did you see any tracks around them?
Barb
My lorapetalums are beginning to bloom now (pink). They are just plain old contractor-installed-before-we-bought-the-house lorapetalums, but they are in full sun, receive little additional water other than rain, and flourish.
I have no idea what could be breaking off the lower branches, but agreeing with Barbie that perhaps it's an animal?
Entlie