Will it grow back or do I dig it out?

Question

I have a 10 ft high evergreen Vibernum bush that has been stripped by something. No sign of caterpillars but last few leaves full of holes. It looks dead — will it regrow or do I dig it out?

Answer 1

Viburnum leaf beetles are attacking your Viburnum. Both the larvae and the adults feed on the leaves. Here is detailed information that you can use to decide whether to remove your plant. It will recover this year - give it some fertilizer - but repeated years of defoliation will kill the shrub. http://www.hort.cornell.edu/vlb/