Planting high (top of rootball above grade) is never a bad thing and with clay soils, it is the recommended method. But you don't want to try and get it "leveled out" - you want to bring the backfill soil just up to the top edge of the rootball (the 'shoulder') in a small mound. You can then top this with whatever mulch you prefer.

I'd suspect the shrub is just undergoing some transplant shock, which is completely common at this time of year and typically something the plant will overcome rather easily with time. And with adequate water :-) It's not in too much sun, is it? That can exacerbate the situation so you might want to provide some temporary shade if this is the case.

Hey gardengal - thanks for responding. Yes, I did create a shoulder, however the heavy rain sort of washed that away.

And no, not too much sun. It is in filtered sunlight :)

For this summer be sure your water is applied directly on the root ball as no roots are in your native soil yet. Al

If the plant was root bound in the pot you bought it in it could be root rot.. Whenever I am planting a new shrub and see circling roots I usually cut those right off. Sometimes I will take a knife a cut off the entire outer 1/2 inch or so and with the knife will make some long cuts from the top downward. The roots replenish themselves and won't continue to circle.

If your plant is wilting and the soil is super wet, this could be an indicator that the roots are unhappy.

So today I went to check on it, and now some of the lower leaves are dead and some of the upper leaves have brown spots on them. I called the nursery where I got the plant but they weren't too helpful. She just said to make sure I'm not watering the leaves, only the roots, because hot days and water can burn the leaves (we havent had many hot days recently and thr plant is in dappled sunlight anyway, not full sun) and to fertilize the soil (which I did), and said it could also just be transplant shock. But would transplant shock last this long and get worse??

My Mom said there may be too much water at the roots, sitting on the clay underneath. I'm inclined to believe her since I saw moss growing on one of the stems. Should I dig it all up, mix some new dry soil into it, and try again? Or will that shock the plant even more?

My poor plant!

I doubt moss growing on a limb is the best indicator of the moisture in the soil (it may be a good indicator of humidity and moisture in your region).

Transplant shock/wilt can last a full season or more but then I live in GA so our conditions are a lot hotter than you have. My new plants in the ground are watered at least every other day and sometimes every day to get the plant established in its new home. I often have to water them regularly for two to three years to get them on their own and in really hot, dry weather; supplemental watering can make a huge difference between a wilted bush and a lush full growing shrub.

You can stick your finger in the first inch or two of the planting hole and see how wet it feels. If you suspect it is too wet, pull the plant out and move it to a new location that has better drainage. Mixing dry soil in a wet hole often results in more wet soil eventually.

Do keep some soil over the top of the root ball though as the original root ball exposed to the outer air will wick away a lot of moisture. Mounding is difficult to keep the native soil on top at times as you have found out but is almost necessary for some fussy plants like rhododendrons.

You might make a "collar" to circle the plant at the soil line where the roots are high & exposed. A strip of cardboard, plastic, edging or what have you can be bent into a circle, fastened in place around the plant & filled with soil to prevent washout. A larger & taller collar can encircle the first & hold mulch to within an inch or two of the stems to both insulate the soil & hold moisture longer.

Thanks for the help everyone! After much more trial (and error), it *looks* like the problem was not enough water...which is crazy because I was watering it so much - now I'm watering it a ridiculous amount!

It's good to keep watering some, but if you see any leaves turning brown or black, time to cut back. Also if your area begins to get 2+" of rain per week and not a lot of sun, stop watering for a bit and simply monitor.

Oh geeze. Okay everyone - back to the drawing board. I don't know what to do! I finally took some pics - maybe you can all help me. The top half of the plant is looking much better, but the bottom half is not looking good at all. The soil is damp/moist, not wet, and not dry. I have clay-like soil, and I am in zone 3. Plant is in partial shade/part sun (more on the shady side than sunny side).
What is happening?!?!

I had something like that happen to my new Incrediball last year. Best advice would be to move it into a slightly shadier spot and get rid of those browning leaves. Mine had some type of infection where the leaves turned brown and dropped from the bottom up, with the browning in a spreading fashion. You might just end up with a bare plant by August, and mine only bounced back 33% this year. If you have a warranty from where you bought it you could probably have it replaced.

...it's in a pretty shady spot. Hmm. I do have a warranty...maybe I should look into that. Thanks!!