The most common cause of yew damage in my part of the country is too much water, especially in clay soil. Having said that, here in KS we had a swampy growing season last year followed by a dry winter. A number of yews browned out during the winter due to root loss from the wet season followed by drying out during the winter drought (called desiccation) - the root loss kept them from drawing enough water. Black vine weevil can attack yews, and also other pests but it sounds more like a moisture thing.

Paul, I do not know specifically about roses, but the sections of the Shenandoah National Forest where thousands of hemlock trees have perished, other plants are growing quite well. It is incredibly sad that these majestic trees are headed towards extinction in this area. I would love to add them to my landscaping, but the Virginia Department of Forestry informs me that I may as well bury my money directly in the hole rather than waste it trying to grow hemlock trees in my yard. I recently was driving around a neighborhood with mature landscaping in Virginia Beach where I saw a large beautiful hemlock tree. I parked on the street just to take a long look at a tree that I rarely see anymore. Kathy

Funny you mention this, my privet hedge had a tough time this spring.... It just didn't take off like it normally would. The leaves came out kind of on the small, dark and glossy side and later a few began to dry up and fall off. There was no big spring flush of new growth. Now it seems to have recovered and is putting out the normal growth. I don't know. Maybe it was the really dry weather? I thought I was to blame- too many roots cut during bed prep, but no, even an untouched bush looked bad. I too though privet was un-killable. Maybe someone else knows something? Kato

Hello wisconsitom – Thank you for your response. Here are some additional details… I’m located in Zone 7, Long Island NY. This privet hedge is approximately 2.5 years old and had been healthy (at least in appearance) in the beginning of the Spring. They were purchased from a very good nursery and I believe they were in burlap as opposed to pots but I’m not certain anymore as I had both. I trim them on a regular basis and I believe that I have trimmed the hedge twice this year. This property had been neglected for many years and this entire area had been dead trees, brush, and invasive vines like English Ivy and other species whose names escape me. I cleared the property approximately three years ago and planted a perimeter of various shrubs …I have several sections of Privet around the property. This particular section looked very healthy and full, I have been keeping it low and trimming in a pear shaped formation to make certain the bottom gets sun and stays green. The soil is very fertile, it has excellent drainage and gets a good amount of sun each day. Our spring has been pretty good, I usually supplement water if there is any dry spells. There is no grass within 10 feet of this hedge … I have put down both a pre-emergent and broadleaf control, but not in close proximity. I use arborists wood chips as mulch, but I have not recently mulched this area – this is where I get concerned about the Honey Fungus. The thinning of the leaves was very sudden and I’m concerned whatever is causing it might spread … Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you