25 Year Old Azaela Suddenly Died Back

Question

I have had a 25 year old Azaela that has done well over the years. It is/was planted in a bed next to the house facing the north and had partial shade during the day. I fed it once a year and watered it weekly. Last summer a large branch suddenly died off and then his summer another branch died off with the rest of the plant in about a month. It was really a shock and sad as I’ve had the plant for so long. The branches that died off were very dry almost like it was in an oven. I could just snap them in half. All these years, I’ve care for it the same, so I have no idea why and how this happened.

Answer 1

It was pretty old. Most shrubs only live 10 to 15 years so yours did well. It sounds like it may have had a dieback disease. Here is an article about it:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/azalea/azalea-branches-dying.htm