Cone flowers leaves and stems diseased - Ask Extension
My echinacea plants leaves and stems have brownish spots. Had it last year, too. What is it and how to treat?
Knowledgebase
Cone flowers leaves and stems diseased #871084
Asked June 01, 2024, 5:24 PM EDT
My echinacea plants leaves and stems have brownish spots. Had it last year, too. What is it and how to treat?
Hennepin County Minnesota
Expert Response
Hi Maureen,
This looks like septoria leaf spot. It doesn’t usually kill plants, but the disease lingers in soil and will return year after year. You may want to remove these coneflowers and plant something different in this area.
Key to controlling the disease is good fall cleanup, not watering with sprinklers and good air circulation around plants. Here’s more information:
https://www.gardenia.net/disease/septoria-leaf-spot
Good luck.
