They do this - nothing to worry about. Although they are evergreen last years leaves do fall off eventually.

thanks but this is on the new growth since i pruned in april.

Yes, it will be, but it's still the oldest leaves being shed. As long as the NEW growth is fresh and green it'll be ok

I think its too late in the year now but next spring I,d give a balanced feed.
Evergreens do shed their leaves when they get old,its just not as noticeable as deciduous trees, many of these are shedding leaves now in response to the hot dry weather.

thanks for your comments. its the fact that they are only this years growth that concerns me. and the black blotches, could that be some kind of infection?

Could be a fungal infection I guess, its not got aphids has it and the black is the mess they leave.....you would see little insects, lots of them....

no aphids at all and the black blotches appear in the leaves, not on the surface, then turn yellow.

Happens to mine every year and it isn't a problem honestly.

no need to panic then! thanks for all your advice.

just discovered that the escallonia does indeed have an infection. it's called 'escallonia leaf spot' and is apparently a quite new fungal infection specific to escallonia.
there is info on the rhs website for anyone else with the same disease. there seems to be no cure at all for it although spraying with certain chemicals can help to keep on top of it.
hope this helps others ...

has anyone found a cure for this escallonia infection?

The amount of viruses pests and infections seems to me to be increasing, in trees as well as shrubs, very worrying

i agree pam.
has anyone found a successful cure for escallonia leaf spot?

guess no-one has found a successful cure?

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/Profile.aspx?PID=108

more info. here.. hope this helps ..

thanks for that terratoonie but i've already read that, as i mentioned in a previous post.
there appears to be no cure, according to the rhs, but has anyone on this forum found a successful cure?