I planted some 5 gallon rhapheolepis, Indian Hawthorne, well over a year ago in amended clay soil with pretty decent drainage. I live in SoCal with a slight ocean influence but not enough for any kind of salt problem. They were doing beautifully and developed lots of buds, but they never opened. They soon began losing their nice green color and then started to die. Despite my efforts, they just kept going downhill, so I dug them up. They were not root bound at all but failed to develop many roots beyond the original shape of the root ball. They did get ample water. I'm stumped. Ideas?

When you get a plant like that, it really is rootbound. The roots couldn't get out of the pot shape. Next time, try to loosen the tangle by pulling the root ball apart from the bottom up. Then plant your upside 'V' over a mound of dirt in your planting hole. That will be enough for the roots to get out and grow into the native soil.

Yeah, I did loosen the root ball but maybe not enough. Thanks for the suggestion.

It also looks really dry. Was water penetrating through to the middle of the rootball.

They look dry because they'd been out a couple of days. But, yes, they'd always received ample water and were good and moist when I dug them up.

So I think the problem is the inability to grow out of the rootball. Plants are strange - some would have no problem bulldozing their way but others are easily discouraged.

I always break the rootball apart to form the upside down V. That way, you may rip a couple roots but you aren't cutting all the roots. Sometimes it take some effort to get the rootball apart but I think you now know the benefits.

I hope you aren't discouraged. This is the time you replant the Hawthorne or come up with a whole new idea.