Question: My wax myrtle has dead branches. What can I do to stop its decline?

Answer: Wax myrtles frequently lose branch after branch when they’re grown in alkaline soils and in hot, dry locations. It’s not uncommon to see plants with just one lanky branch, where it used to be full and compact, with 6 or 8 major branches. Many professionals have moved away from wax myrtle as a prime landscaping shrub, at least in the area approaching and west of I-45 (western 75 percent of Texas).