What are the Brown Leaves on My Magnolia?

Magnolias in the Lowcountry of South Carolina are notorious for getting twig borers.

These insects, a species of a scolytid beetle, bore through the stems of the twig and eat the center of the twig causing the leaves on the tip of the twig to turn brown. These beetles will bore through healthy and stressed trees, alike, making any tree a perfect target for them. Dogwood, redbuds, red maples, magnolias, willows, and live oaks are all common hosts of twig borers.

Once infested, the twig will not come back to life. The best treatment process is to remove the infected twigs. This, in turn, will remove the insect. After removing the brown twigs, it is recommended to apply insecticide.