Question From: East Lyme, Connecticut, United States
Q: This spring the buds on my mt laurel were vibrant red -- stunning. When they began opening many turned dry and brown. Does not appear healthy now. Some leaf loss.
Take some cutting of the damage to your local independent garden center or nursery that sell lots of woodies ( trees and shrubs) for an accurate ID and method of control. Photos also help. Check the bark as well as the leaves and buds. Sounds like a fungal disease to me but that's just a guess. Treating with guesses can be fatal. Best And Happy Yardening, Nancy