My landscaper identified shrub and fungus and powdery mildew. It is not deciduous. I live in Florida and they are planted across the front of my house.

Ken, you really need to lose the "it doesn't matter what it is; who cares at this time of year" chatter. It is such bad advice in almost every instance, deciduous or not.

dasch, I would like to see pictures, too, but I would suspect that your Ligustrum has the very common Cercospora leaf spot fungus, a real problem with evergreen Ligustrum in the south. It causes severe spotting, leaf fall, and even death of shrubs if left untreated. But it can be treated and plants can recover.

• First and foremost, a thorough clearing of all fallen leaves and mulch from around the plants is essential. Replace the mulch in the spring.
• If you have an irrigation system, adjust the timing so that it comes on in the pre-dawn hours and for heaven's sake cut it way back or even off for the winter.
• In the late winter/early spring, your shrubs should be cut back severely, even to the ground. As new growth occurs, a fungicidal program should commence. Timely applications of appropriate fungicides can keep your shrubs symptom free.

Is your landscaper reasonably knowledgeable? There are many fungicidal treatments available to treat Cercospora, as seen HERE in the fact sheet from Clemson.

Ligustrum can be completely disease free in the first place. It needs to be grown in a sunny location, pruned carefully upon occasion to allow for optimum air circulation, and overhead irrigation timed to avoid wet foliage all night long.

I suspect that your landscaper hedges these shrubs to keep them to a decent size. A plant that is quite capable of reaching 15-20 feet tall doesn't take happily to shearing over a long period of time.

Regarding the powdery mildew on the stems of your plant....I will have to see pictures to believe it. My wager is that it is a type of lichen, which starts out as white splotches in the bark.

Lichen is an almost certain occurance on Ligustrum that have started to defoliate due to Cercosporum disease.

Pictures, pictures please!

I took pictures on my I-pad but am having trouble sending them to you. I will keep trying

daschmitt33, I have come to associate Ligustrum with Cercospora leaf spot - invariably! I have never encountered powdery mildew on Ligustrum; but that is not to deny its occurrence. Here is a LINK that suggests that the condition is comparatively new.

Pictured below, is a condition that is becoming more noticeable (in my opinion) on Ligustrum. It is traceable to the roots of particular stalks and the 'experts' tell me that it is associated with summer weather. The brown areas shown were removed; and the plant is recovering in that other healthy branches are growing out over the "hole" that resulted from the pruning.

my day wouldnt be complete ... without a reaming by rhiz ...

ken