I planted a calusia hedge last year and many of the plants are now turning yellow and dying. The hedge is in a low area that may get too wet in the Florida rainy season. Is it possible to plant the replacement plants higher (say only 1/2 way in the ground and mound soil around the exposed portion? Is this worth a try?

Hi and to the site!

Can you upload photos showing the hedge as well as the yellowing leaves? Autograph Tree (Clusia rosea) is a Florida native and is said to grow in both moist and dry soil and may be fine for short term water inundation after storms but extended inundation, without drainage will likely cause root rot.

Here are photos of the hedge. The 2 nearest appear to be healthy.

If poor drainage is indeed the problem, then yes, mounding the planting spot would relieve it - get the top part of the root system where it can get the oxygen it needs.

If you do that, though, consider first how large these hedge plants will grow. The mounds you create should be substantial enough to offer the same benefit when the plant reaches maximum size. Just a little bitty mound, while working for a year or two with a small plant, will be useless once the plant gets to 10 feet tall, for instance.