The leaves on my croton plants are curled inward. Not all the leaves but most of them. New growth is deformed. The limbs on my pride of Barbados are deformed and not blooming as much as in prior years. When I trim the funny looking growth off it still comes back looking deformed.

How often do you water that Croton? Is that bark mulch I see underneath?

Same thing about the Caesalpinia: how often do you water it?

They both look dehydrated. . . . water them deeply and see if that helps and avoid allowing them to get that dry again

I don't know why I attached that first image, haha. Anyway, yes that is bark mulch and the plants get watered twice weekly by a sprinkler system. It's not just these plants affected. I'll attach a picture of my plumeria plant leaves. They are deformed also.

I deleted the first image.

Thanks for deleting the image.
I don't think a lack of water. Is the issue. These plants have been here for years. Last year was the first time this issue occurred. Do yo notice the nodes where I trimmed the pride of Barbados?

Are these plants all near each other?
Is there a lawn nearby?
Are neighbors nearby who might have been spraying herbicides in the last month or so?

Yes there is a lawn nearby. Funny you mention the herbicide, my husband said the same thing. If it is herbicide, what do I do to save them?

If it's your lawn, have you applied a "weed & feed" product to it? That is one possibility. The other is wind drift from nearby spraying of something like Round Up. You'd be amazed at how easily that spreads on the slightest breeze. I'm wondering about herbicides because you've got deformity and dieback on three very different plants in the same vicinity.

If that's the case and they're not already dead then it's a matter of time. Trim off as much dead or deformed growth as you feel the two shrubs can tolerate and keep them well hydrated. Maybe just watch the plumeria for now...it looks healthy green, but I'm not familiar with them. Hopefully someone else can better advise on that one.

Here are some articles to help you evaluate your damage:

https://extension.umn.edu/node...

https://hgic.clemson.edu/facts...

I do think something has been either sprayed on the plants or applied to the soil. One other related idea: increasingly people are getting manure that is tainted from herbicides that farmers apply to grazing pastures. The herbicides pass through livestock intact into the manure and poison plants where it's applied.

https://crops.extension.iastat...

Thanks so much for the great information. I'm now pretty sure it's from herbicide drift.

You're welcome and good luck with it! I have a neighbor who sprays carelessly on his Bermuda grass ...then he piles fertilizer on his deformed shrubs because he doesn't believe the curled leaves and discoloration is from the Round Up, which he "only sprayed on the grass". He's nailed a few of my plants along the fence, but so far they have recovered. Hope yours do too

barflowers said:The leaves on my croton plants are curled inward. Not all the leaves but most of them.

FYI: Your "Croton" looks to be a variety of Acalypha wilkesiana (Copper leaf).
My Acalypha water needs are higher than those needed for Crotons.

barflowers said:Thanks for deleting the image.
I don't think a lack of water. Is the issue. These plants have been here for years. Last year was the first time this issue occurred. Do yo notice the nodes where I trimmed the pride of Barbados?

When Pride of Barbados doesn't flower, 90% it's lack of water. It's basically a self-defense mechanism to conserve energy and get through droughts to another blooming season, hopefully with more water.

Sadly I am seeing problems such as yours more and more often these years: when water tables drop, ground moisture drops with it and plants start displaying drought symptoms even when they are watered the same as the previous years. Mulching helps, to a point, but the only solution is to shift from overhead watering to a form of deep watering such as soaker hoses.
Successive years of drought/low rain can have even more devastating effects, but those are generally felt by trees and large bushes.

I am ready to bet a shiny sixpence the soil underneath your plants is acceptably moist for the first 4-5" but then quickly becomes as dry as a bone.

Thanks for the advice. I can get more water on them ASAP.

Ha I can't believe I've been calling the plant a croton. It is a copper plant. My mistake😐