We have one of these, about four years old, six feet high and wide.
I've just noticed that several large patches have recently died or are
dying (at least half the total), mostly in the centre, although
there's life in other parts with fresh growth around the edge. It's
shedding quantities of fluffy seed ATM.

I'm a bit surprised. Is sudden dieback a feature of this plant, does
anyone know? Can anyone suggest what might have caused it, although I
appreciate that that's an almost impossible question to answer, given
the possibilities. IME it's pretty tough, coping well with salt gales
in the winter, and it's not been exactly drought-stricken recently but
not drowned either. If it got too dry earlier in the year, it seems a
bit late for it to register now.

I shall leave it over the winter as it's a bit late for hard pruning,
and cut it right back in the spring in the hope that the bits still
living will shoot and re-build the over-all structure. Does that seem
reasonable?

It's a lovely shrub IMO, and if it dies completely I'll replace it
with another and hope that does better.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net