Classic symptoms of drought stress.

How long have they been in? If recently, inadequate water to the rootball. If longer than 4 years, likely a problem with the lower stem or roots.

Hello Jean,

Thanks for responding. They've been in for two years. I'm very surprised to hear you say drought is the issue. We're coming out of an extremely wet winter, with local flooding and trees coming down from a combination of wind and saturated ground. As well (you can't see it from the pictures) there are other cherry laurels only three feet away across a walkway that receive about the same amount of water and are doing fine. What tips you off that it is drought?

The tip that it's drought (aka, a water shortage ) is the pattern of brown which progressed from the tip backward into the leaf.

The damage you see is from last year.

As for the fact that others are doing okay, many things can affect how much water gets into the top of the plant, among them these:
- the root system of the individual plant (even though they're all the same kind, they *are* individuals)
- newly planted/transplanted woodies need supplemental irrigation for at least two years. (Yours ran short of water last year)
- differences in root systems (part of the "they are individuals" kind of thing)
- exposure: perhaps the damaged ones are in more light, or a windier, or more exposed, site
- perhaps the damaged ones receive more reflected light, as from a driveway or sidewalk
- differences in soil between the two planting area.
- if given supplemental water during the growing season, the amount received, also the method applied