Diseased Peonies in Cemetery - Ask Extension
Our cemetery has peonies with some sort of blight or fungus. The cemetery was founded in 1849 and rumor has it that some of the plants can trace their...
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Diseased Peonies in Cemetery #867519
Asked May 08, 2024, 8:29 AM EDT
Our cemetery has peonies with some sort of blight or fungus. The cemetery was founded in 1849 and rumor has it that some of the plants can trace their origins back to then. I'm trying to preserve the peonies. Can anyone help me to identify the issue and also provide a suggestion on how to heal the plants? This is my 2nd spring working here. I noticed it on some of the same plants last year also. I don't want to see it spread to all the flowers in the cemetery. Every fall we cut the peonies off at the ground and remove them. If this isn't something I can fix myself, who should I reach out to for help? Thank you!
Montgomery County Ohio
Expert Response
After looking at the pictures, it appears there is black leaf spot and powdery mildew, but it is extremely difficult to identify problems by looking at picture, I think it would be good to take plant samples to your extension office where they can see the plant personally, or take samples to a garden center where they grow peonies. It looks like a fungus and you can get fungsides at your box store. It is also very important clean all dropped leaves because the disease can over winter in the soil. Thanks for your question.
