Question: Our dwarf wax myrtle bushes are 12 years old. They have thrived until last year. We replanted one, and now the adjoining bush is dying. We’re in the Blackland Prairie clay soils. J., Lake Lavon area.

Answer: It’s been my observation for the past 20 years that wax myrtles and dwarf wax myrtles have very short life expectancies in alkaline soils around DFW. This type of limb die-out is exactly how they operate, and I don’t believe there is any disease involved. They just don’t handle the alkaline soils and low humidity very well. They’re better suited to areas much farther south and east of the Metroplex. To be completely honest, I can’t see your photo very well. The shrubs in question look to my eye to be more like dwarf yaupon hollies than they do like dwarf wax myrtles. But I’ve left my answer based on your identification. Just felt that I needed to mention that.