It is almost as if someone had hit the plants with a blow torch. This year it is severe winterburn. To add a sense of mystery to the situation, not all plants have died. Or just the top of the plant is dead and the bottom looks perfectly healthy. At one house on the street the rhododendrons are dark green, and at another house just down the street the plants look like they have had it.
Damage is erratic.
First of all, Smith says that the dieback of rhododendrons is geographically wide-spread, especially over southern New England. It is not just a few selected people who have been hit. Wherever there was a late snow cover, winterburn is evident. The explanation for the severe browning and curling of the leaves lies in the climatic conditions during the winter. Snow accumulated during the winter and lasted until very late into early spring.