Coneflower - Ask Extension
Hello! I’m wondering if you can advise on what is going on with my coneflower? On many of the flowers, the petals are a bit deformed, missing, or ki...
Knowledgebase
Coneflower #873509
Asked June 17, 2024, 5:45 PM EDT
Hello! I’m wondering if you can advise on what is going on with my coneflower? On many of the flowers, the petals are a bit deformed, missing, or kind of pointy. There is no weird green growth on the flower head. The leaves don’t look as green and vigorous as in past years. I did transplant this coneflower last fall. I’m hoping it’s that, or underwatering, and not something like aster yellows! Thank you, Debra
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
Hello Debra,
The Coneflower pictured looks fairly normal, although quite drought-stressed. Is it being monitored for watering needs by feeling the soil around four inches deep next to the roots? Wilting and off-color leaves like this (the paler green) can arise from both under-watering and over-watering, the latter of which is easier to do if the soil isn't checked before assuming a plant needs water.
Flower deformities can arise from a range of factors -- some environmental (drought), and some biological, like mites or infections. Coneflower Rosette Mite is fairly common and causes a few symptoms that gardeners often mistake for Aster Yellows disease. The linked page provides examples of each, focusing on the mites.
Since the plant was moved less than a year ago, it's not yet re-established, and could use continued attention to watering this summer and fall. If the soil feels somewhat dry to the touch at that four-inch depth, water thoroughly (at least a gallon), but if it's damp instead, watering is probably not needed. If the plant continues to wilt a day or so after being watered well, then something else is wrong -- either root rot or perhaps an infection like Southern Blight. Symptom overlap makes it hard to diagnose with certainty, but our impression from the images is that it's just under-watered.
Miri
The Coneflower pictured looks fairly normal, although quite drought-stressed. Is it being monitored for watering needs by feeling the soil around four inches deep next to the roots? Wilting and off-color leaves like this (the paler green) can arise from both under-watering and over-watering, the latter of which is easier to do if the soil isn't checked before assuming a plant needs water.
Flower deformities can arise from a range of factors -- some environmental (drought), and some biological, like mites or infections. Coneflower Rosette Mite is fairly common and causes a few symptoms that gardeners often mistake for Aster Yellows disease. The linked page provides examples of each, focusing on the mites.
Since the plant was moved less than a year ago, it's not yet re-established, and could use continued attention to watering this summer and fall. If the soil feels somewhat dry to the touch at that four-inch depth, water thoroughly (at least a gallon), but if it's damp instead, watering is probably not needed. If the plant continues to wilt a day or so after being watered well, then something else is wrong -- either root rot or perhaps an infection like Southern Blight. Symptom overlap makes it hard to diagnose with certainty, but our impression from the images is that it's just under-watered.
Miri
Thank you very much!
You're welcome!
Hi again - I watered the coneflowers deeply and they perked up a bit. But now I'm noticing this growth on the heads. Does this look likes Rosette mites? Anything I can do other than remove affected flowers? Will this spread to the nearby coneflowers? Thanks!
It's hard to tell at this stage, but these symptoms are more suggestive of Aster Yellows disease than mites, though we aren't positive. The "color breaking," where petal color is not consistent and streaked in places, is more aligned with a plant virus. (Aster Yellows is not a virus, but it tends to be lumped-in with viral diseases because it behaves similarly and cannot be cured.) If you're wary, it might be best to remove the plant, but if you want to give it more time to see if symptoms become more pronounced (and therefore more diagnostic), you can share more photos at that point.
Miri
Miri
