Question
Hi.  I have an older shrub that has gotton some tiny white patches on some of the limbs.  There are also some strange brown things attached to some of the limbs about 1/2 long and have a layered look.  The plant looks very sick.  many of the limbs are dead and the leaves are brown.  The poor plant is trying to hold on and put out new green.  Do you have any suggestions on what this problem may be?  I first thought it had frozen during winter, but now that I notice this brown thing and the tiny white spots I wonder if it is a disease.  Thanks for your suggestions.

Answer
It would help to know the type of shrub, so I will have to generalize based on your description.

The tiny white patches are probably lichens.  They can be found on any part of woody plants, but are more common on exposed branches where they can receive the most sunlight.  They are not pathogens and only use the shrub for support.  

The brown things you describe sound like a fruiting body of a fungus.  It sounds like there is some type of wood decay occurring.  Since many of the leaves and branches are dead, I do not hold out much hope for your plant.  It may have experienced significant winter damage which allowed a wood rotter to enter the plant.  

You could try to remove the dead areas by pruning and wait and see what happens.  During this period, I would water the tree during periods of drought and apply fertilizer to help stimulate new growth.  Or it might be time for a replacement plant if you don't want to wait.