Hi Everyone,

I have a once-thriving salvia apiana in my front yard that looks about ready to croak. Any help would be greatly appreciated, because I love this plant.

I put it in the ground about 9 months ago next to an identical salvia. The latter lasted only a few months, turning a rusty color and wilting rapidly. When I finally dug it up, I found numerous suspicious white fibers in the soil. I thought it had something to do with our super-wet winter here in CA, which caused endless fungal problems. But its companion really thrived, growing super-fast. Then, about a month ago, my wife absent-mindedly pruned off some suckers from the top of the plant, and things started to go downhill fast. The plant turned the same rusty color and branches began to die. In desperation, I sprayed the thing with Daconil (the first time I've used a chemical on this yard), but it had no apparent effect. Now I'm at a loss. An ideas?

Thanks, Nick (first-time poster, but avid reader)