By Bramhallbill
Cheshire,
United Kingdom 
OK this is sad for us. A purple rhododendron in our back garden under the giant beech tree looks to have finally given up. It was in the garden when we arrived in August 1991.
No other plant has dried up like this. Can it be saved at all?
Personally I think not. We dead headed earlier in the year & it was OK then
27 Sep, 2020
Answers
Honestly it was so sudden ....Over the last 2weeks.or so. We have had cold drying winds. I have lost a plum tree the other side & a few yrs ago it gave 1000 plums or more. So that is worse than tragic.
I will water Monday morning.....You never know.....
27 Sep, 2020
I revived one i found in a pot on a rubbish dump it looked similar state to yours no harm trying.
28 Sep, 2020
Previous question
« Any advice on what to do with this 'rescued' fern would be appreciated....
To be honest it looks like lack of water, we are going through much longer drier periods these days and I come across this all the time, I look after a garden that is planted out with Rhododendrons under the canopy of a cedar tree, the chap in the past has not kept them watered and they look similar to yours, I have brought them back to life by giving them plenty of water so it may work for you, that said if they do appear to have died then you can cut them hard back and keep watered and they may come back yes it’s painfully slow but in the past it has worked for me.
27 Sep, 2020