What’s happening to my garden phlox? - Ask Extension
Hello!
My tall garden phlox is looking stressed and I’m not familiar with what’s happening. The leaves are curling and have yellow spots that a...
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What’s happening to my garden phlox? #940463
Asked July 24, 2026, 9:12 PM EDT
Hello!
My tall garden phlox is looking stressed and I’m not familiar with what’s happening. The leaves are curling and have yellow spots that are turning brown.
Is this heat stress, some type of fungus, blight, mites, or something with our soil? I planned to split them this fall but am worried about spreading whatever’s happening.
They’re about 5 years old and have been in mulch since day 1. I hand water them every couple days at the base. I inspected the stems and underside of the leaves and there are no visible bugs. I split one of these last fall and gave them to a neighbor and hers do *not* look like this, her leaves still look flat, dark green, and healthy. However, all phlox on my property are affected (some are not next to each other, they’re all over our yard).
Any tips are greatly appreciated. Thanks so much for your time! (:
Washington CountyMinnesota
Expert Response
Although it does not seem to be powdery mildew, it is a leaf disease, perhaps aster yellows. Regardless of the actual virus, it woulld be best to remove the infected plants before it spreads.