Question
We purchased these last spring. They had the nice little white flowers and the berries.They were very nice all Summer and Fall.  Now as Spring is upon us some of the leaves are really yellow, but a lot of the plants' leaves are almost a brownish black. They are planted in the front of the house and on the side of the garage just off the porch entrance. They get sun in the morning but they are pretty much in shade most of the day.We didn't really have a harsh winter.  We live in Macomb, Michigan. Is there anything we can try to save them.  

Answer
Chris,

From the description of the damage, I would have to diagnose it low temperature injury. This occurs when the temperatures go below freezing for any length of time and there is inadequate moisture available in the soil due to frozen soils.

There is a possiblity that the plants will recover this spring on their own, but I would recommend helping them along with a good fertilization and steady watering prctices. I would recommend that in the future, these plants be burlapped to protect them from freezing.

Good luck,
Ed Gulliksen