Could be Rhododendron, but would be helpful to know your region.
No_One7894
Rhododendron. I thought I was on r/thododendron for a second and was going to say that the leaf curl is normal this time of year.
modix
Wild Rhody in the mountains most likely. They look like this in the winter. They lose their leaves constantly vs the wintertime, but the leaves look like that when it’s cold.
Acheloma
My first instict was magnolia based on the groupings of the leaves, but the rhododendron guesses have me questioning. Still leaning a bit more towards magnolia though. The level of sheen matches well.
Good-Highlight-2920
I was about to say Salix Pentandra but wait for the blossoms. They tell a lot!
Compare to Southern Magnolia, the leaf size and sheen don’t match a rhododendron
streachh
The underside of Southern magnolia leaves are brown and kinda velvety.
What do the other sides of these leaves look like?
samplenajar
Magnolia. Buds aren’t right at all for rhododendron
Phillip-O-Dendron
Magnolia species
Jerwaiian
Looks like a Rhododendron in poor condition but without testing the ground it’s growing in it’s hard to say? A healthy dose of an acidic fertilizer would probably make a world of difference? One other thing that puts a serious hurt on both Rhododendrons and Azaleas is their roots contacting cement or concrete under ground from concrete footings or walkways close to the shrub. Concrete and Cement are chemically a strong base material whereas the proper soil composition for Rhododendrons and Azaleas is on the opposite side of the PH scale in the Acidic range. Contact starts a systemic death left unchecked will eventually kill the shrub completely! Get a soil test kit and test a couple samples around the plant for confirmation! Good Luck 👍
16 Comments
Magnolia
Could be Rhododendron, but would be helpful to know your region.
Rhododendron. I thought I was on r/thododendron for a second and was going to say that the leaf curl is normal this time of year.
Wild Rhody in the mountains most likely. They look like this in the winter. They lose their leaves constantly vs the wintertime, but the leaves look like that when it’s cold.
My first instict was magnolia based on the groupings of the leaves, but the rhododendron guesses have me questioning. Still leaning a bit more towards magnolia though. The level of sheen matches well.
I was about to say Salix Pentandra but wait for the blossoms. They tell a lot!
Kinda looks like a [loquat tree](https://xtremehorticulture.com/why-are-my-leaves-yellowing-on-loquat/) to me.
I’m thinking southern magnolia. Location will help with an ID
It looks like a light-starved magnolia to me.
Southern Magnolia [Magnolia grandiflora](https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=c117)
They can self seed as far north as Delaware even if not technically native that far north. Tend to start as understory or edge of forest and can look very straggly compared to full sun cultivated specimens.
I fourth Magnolia
Compare to Southern Magnolia, the leaf size and sheen don’t match a rhododendron
The underside of Southern magnolia leaves are brown and kinda velvety.
What do the other sides of these leaves look like?
Magnolia. Buds aren’t right at all for rhododendron
Magnolia species
Looks like a Rhododendron in poor condition but without testing the ground it’s growing in it’s hard to say? A healthy dose of an acidic fertilizer would probably make a world of difference? One other thing that puts a serious hurt on both Rhododendrons and Azaleas is their roots contacting cement or concrete under ground from concrete footings or walkways close to the shrub. Concrete and Cement are chemically a strong base material whereas the proper soil composition for Rhododendrons and Azaleas is on the opposite side of the PH scale in the Acidic range. Contact starts a systemic death left unchecked will eventually kill the shrub completely! Get a soil test kit and test a couple samples around the plant for confirmation! Good Luck 👍