Blue Vervain twisting - Ask Extension
My blue Vervain has a bunch of twisting stems. I attached a picture. It grew last year and the stems were all straight. Do you know what might have ca...
Knowledgebase
Blue Vervain twisting #869827
Asked May 23, 2024, 5:02 PM EDT
My blue Vervain has a bunch of twisting stems. I attached a picture. It grew last year and the stems were all straight. Do you know what might have caused it? Also is there anything I should do to help it like cut the stem where it starts to twist?
Thanks in advance!
Baltimore County Maryland
Expert Response
Twisting stems could be a symptom of herbicide exposure or a virus. If you did not use any type of herbicide on your property, it is still possible for plants to be exposed to "herbicide drift" from nearby farms or yards where herbicide applications are used. Some plants are more susceptible than others to growth-regulators that are used in some types of pesticides. If an exposure was minimal, the plant should eventually grow out of the damage. There really isn't anything you can do, other than normal good plant care practices such as watering during dry periods. A virus can also cause twisting stems, but your plant doesn't appear to show other indicators of a virus (such as unusual color patterns in the leaves).
Christa
Christa
