Good Question: Why are there so many dead bushes?

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Driving around, you have most likely noticed some bushes that would normally be sprouting back to life are still brown. One viewer wanted to know why.

For today’s Good Question, Lynn says, “I have noticed a whole lot of shrubs around town are dead. One yard will have healthy shrubs, and the next house has all dead shrubs. What has caused all these bushes to die?”

Lynn, the short answer is - the cold.

There was some severe cold last Christmas, and we answered a question then about damage to landscaping.

At the time, Professor Richard Durham with UK’s horticultural program said some plants that looked dead might come back to life in the spring. So, he said it would be best to wait before removing them. Well, the wait is over.

Yesterday, he told us the dead shrubs that are evident in landscapes are most likely from the severe freeze around Christmas. And, while some shrubs have recovered well, others like boxwoods, laurels, and some hollies, have not.

At this point, if no new growth is occurring on shrubs, they are likely dead and will need to be replaced.

If you have a Good Question you’d like us to try to answer, send it to goodquestion@wkyt.com.

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