Two years ago we planted about 30 creeping junipers (juniperus horizontalis - wiltonii) to cover a hillside in the back of our house. We chose the driest portion of the backyard with decent sun exposure (mid morning to mid afternoon sun). The plants were growing great with no signs of problems. A little over a month ago a couple of the plants started showing signs of stress. branches began turning purple, then brown. After it looked like one plant was unrecoverable, I removed it to check the roots for rot. They appeared okay, but I may not know exactly what I'm looking for.

Since the first two junipers showed signs of problems, I'm beginning to see portions of a couple adjacent plants also showing problems. Does anyone have any ideas of the problem and any advice for treatment? Could it be a fungus? Are there any juniper diseases that spread among plants?