By Uwdc
West Yorkshire,
United Kingdom 
Re my previous question on Red Robin. We had Red Robin 40 years without a problem, needed pruning each year. This time there was no new growth, it has lost a lot of foliage and looks very sad. There was no indication of this by the end of last year. Could it have a disease or might it have come to the end of its natural lifetime.
Photos attached
18 Apr, 2017
Answers
Do vine weevils or honey fungus attack Red Robin? If it was here, I would suspect Phytopthora root rot, or Teas root rot--or maybe pocket gophers! :B
19 Apr, 2017
honey fungus and phytophthora are the two most likely culprits here too, Tug. As to which it is, well, unless you observed honey coloured toadstools in the area last September, which would make it honey fungus, hard to be sure. Either way, looks like a goner. Photinia, being a member of the rosaceae, are susceptible to phytophthora root root, but there's also been a report or two of phytophthora cactorum on these plants, which starts on the crown and attacks the roots.
19 Apr, 2017
Sorry, I meant Texas root rot. Sticking "x" key on my keyboard! You don't have that fungus there in the UK--and you should be thankful--but honey fungus sounds like a close analog, in effects. As I remember, old age is a much more gradual process in Red Robin, though it comes much earlier here in the desert, as early as 15 years old.
19 Apr, 2017
Thank you all for your answers on Red Robin. As you say "Bamboo", it looks like a goner. I suppose 40 years is not a bad life.
Regards
Uwdc
22 Apr, 2017
Looks like lack of water to me... did you have a very dry and/or frosty spell?
18 Apr, 2017