Why are my leaves not growing on Rose of Sharon?

Question

The leaves on my Rose of Sharon are not growing they way they normally do. It also has green spots on the branches. Does it have a fungus? What can I do to save it?

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Answer 1

The lichen, its self, is not a concern. This can, however, indicate that there is another fungal infection present and doing damage to the tree. I would recommend putting wettable sulfur and dolomitic lime around the soil and even a little further from the shrub. This will kill off anything in the soil. Doing this over the winter will give you the advantage as well. The new growth in the spring will be back to normal.