Brown Leaves on Camelia

[nellie923]

I'm not sure if this is from the frozen week we had a few weeks ago, or lack of moissture after that, as temps are now in the 70s and 80s and have been since the snow. I have three camelias and only this one is showing brown leaves. Can anyone help me find a solution?

 

[nellie923]

If lack of water is the problem (and yes, we are low on rainfall this year), then I will have to figure out a way to get water to those plants since the sprinkler system is still off. Soon, if previous years are any indication, we will have way too much rain. So it goes.

 

[nellie923]

I thought I would post a closup of a leaf turning brown, if that helps diagnose. I originally had four plants, all planted at the same time (about a year ago). I lost one to summer heat. Of the remaining three, two are showing these brown leaves. My idea is to cut these off and see if the problem goes away or if it keps developing.

 

[Martin Mikulcik]

You shouldn't have to water in the winter.

It does look like cold but freeze damage takes a while to really show. They stay green and look a little off and slowly change

Is that 3 plants in one clump because cold usually hits the entire plant the same

Any idea how cold you got

 

[nellie923]

It got below 10 degrees, maybe lower, The photo was one plant, so yes, there are some brown areas, but others are quite green. Perhaps a burst of cold wind hit it in one spot?

 

[Martin Mikulcik]

It got below 10 degrees, maybe lower, The photo was one plant, so yes, there are some brown areas, but others are quite green. Perhaps a burst of cold wind hit it in one spot?

Yeah, it has a big bud, maybe that branch was coming out of dormancy, or a little more exposed/less shaded

Did you have any damage in 2023 or 2024 or even 2025? For us, this winter was more mild than those, and i don't think we saw any damage in Kentucky this year but we had heavy damage last year

But i know not all varieties are equally hardy

 

[Meadowlark]

@nellie923 I just checked my camelias and they showed zero sign of freeze damage but I'm a bit south of you.

It has been very dry here since last Labor Day...and like you my sprinkler system is still off. As a result, I have had to water places I never before watered in winter.

The combo of no water and prolonged low temps definitely can make plants more susceptible to damage.

 

[nellie923]

I cut off a lot of the brown leaves, hoping they were going and not coming, if you get my drift. Still lots of green. Fingers crossed.

 

[Meadowlark]

And gave them some water?