Looks like it might be some late flowering magnolia. If it's an evergreen variety, it may just shed leaves like this off-and-on throughout the season. Do you know the color of the flowers?

It's a Rhododendron. It is evergreen but it will still shed old leaves - they don't last forever. It looks fine to me. Those fat buds will flower in the spring.

Yes, a Rhododendron.

Thanks everyone. Just moved in a month ago from GA. and all I had there was day lilies.

very fine near surface roots.. likes to stay dampish ... and favors acidic soil ... i use a handful of hollytone once per year ... IN MY SOIL ....

it might not like that cement wall.. and what that might do to the soil pH ..

what they said on dropping old leaves ...

its an understory shade plant .. i hope that wall is not in sun.. in the heat of the day ...

ken

There are no burnt leaf tips or leaf areas in the photo to indicate over-heating during the past summer.

What are you doing to the plant that makes you think you are the cause of the leaves turning color?

To me it looks perfectly healthy. The yellow leaves look like natural replacement. As I said, even evergreens have to drop their old leaves sometime.

There are no burnt leaf tips or leaf areas in the photo to indicate over-heating during the past summer.

==>>> i agree it looks fat and happy ...

but do note.. OP said they just moved there.. old owner could have slapped it in the day before OP showed up to make the sale ...

i was thinking more long term on future observation ...

i guess all i was suggesting was that OP doesnt have along history with the garden ... stuff could happen ... and nothing i ever planted.. that close to a wall.. lived carefree without some level of aftercare ...

many rhodies get bigger than your house .. and again.. we have no history this is some magic dwarf ... and being planted what looks like a foot from a wall ... is going to be a lifetime pruning challenge ... and the taller it gets.. the further it will lean away from the wall ....

if it were me.. i would probably move it .... presuming you have some space to move it to ...

ken

How to treat it depends where in Ca you are. Far enough south and you are really desert, far enough north and you are fog forest. The house may be protecting it from late afternoon sun, Santa Anna Winds, who knows? I would ask local knowledgable nurseries for help, and read for your zone. Sunset Online has good information.

Looks like a very healthy plant. Every spring I have hundreds of brown leaves under the plants. I fertilize as soon as the soil admits in spring time, then once more when the floweringôis over, to make the plant set good buds for next flower show !
Have a look at last year flowers .