Hi there. Thank you for your question. Daphne is a notoriously finicky plant that can die quickly. They normally do not live more than 10 years. Daphnes require slightly acidic soils that are moist (not soggy) well drained soils. Once planted they do not like to be moved. They prefer morning or dappled shade. Yellow drooping leaves normally signals overwatering and root rot issues. Brown crispy leaves that fall off the plant would indicate underwatering issues, but this condition should not occur in just a couple of days. You did not tell me the type of Daphne you have, some Daphnes can handle full sun. They are also susceptible to cold and do not require much pruning. They do not like being cut back hard. You should mulch the soil around your plant to maintain a cool, moist root zone.

Your photo shows only part of the plant being affected with leaves apparently dropped off. I would check the soil on that side of the plant to see if it is wet or dry. From what I can see in the photo it looks dry. Our abnormally dry late spring weather and now very windy hot summer weather could be the culprit. I would cut off the dead crispy dried portions of the plant and hope for the best. Mulch around the base of the plant being sure not to have mulch in contact with the stems and water carefully.

If your plant’s roots are moist and it continues to die back it is possible you do have a root rot issue. If the whole plant dies do not plant another daphne in the same location. When researching issues with daphne I discovered that they could do well in containers. I would consult your favorite nurseryman to help you select one suited to growing this way if you want to try this out as all plants might not respond well.