Q. My water accidently turned off for two weeks and my Japanese
Blueberries are all orange. I do see new growth on the edge of the branches. Is the
tree shedding old leaves? Did the cold snap in November cause this?
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| Orange leaves on Japanese blueberry as they are dying and falling off. |
A. The orange color is the color of the natural pigments in the leaf as the leaf dies, its green chlorophyll disappears and leaves behind these orange or reddish pigments. These colors are typical of anthocyanins and related biochemicals.
It is hard to say “after the fact” on something
like this. All you can really say is that the leaves have died and will fall
off. Now the question is whether “the death” went further than this
or not. So you would normally take hold of the branches with dying leaves and
bend them. If they are supple and the leaves drop then it was a recent
“trauma” to the plant and you cannot be sure yet if the death is
going further or not until you see new growth. You can be pre-emptive and cut
these branches back and force new growth or wait, your call. The fact you are seeing new growth is very positive.
choice for a carefree landscape in Las Vegas. It is best planted in a part of
the yard protected from late afternoon sun and it will definitely not do well
in a rock landscape.