What Is Wrong With My Monkey Flower?

Do the leaves have spots or blotches?

Are there any rust-colored spots on foliage?

Are the leaves covered with white powder?

Are the leaves and flowers covered with gray mold?

Are the roots dark brown, the plant is wilting, yellowing, and dying?

Does the crown have swollen, tumor-like growths?

Do the twigs have clublike galls on them?

Do the leaves and stems have white, cottony clusters on them?

Are the leaves covered in coarse stippling and may appear silvery?

Your plant is suffering from a fungal leaf spot. These can come from several fungus diseases, causing spots to occur on foliage. Spots may enlarge rapidly, especially in wet weather. Destroy infected leaves or plants. Spray plants with sulfur to prevent the disease from spreading, especially if the weather is wet. Spray between rains. Prevent problems by thinning plants to provide good air circulation.

Rust-colored spots on foliage indicate a fungal disease - Rust. Provide good air circulation around plants by thining them. Avoid making leaves wet when watering. All infected leaves should be removed. Spray leaves with sulfur early in the season to prevent rust or to treat mild infections.

White, powdery patches on the leaves are caused by a fungal disease Powdery mildew. Powdery mildew usually appears in damp places. Encourage good air circulation around the affected plants by thining them and any surrounding plants. Water plants from below to keep foliage dry. Any affected leaves should be cut off and removed. The appropriate fungicidal spray will protect your plant from further infections.

Likely cause for these symptoms is a fungal disease - Botrytis blight. Other symptoms include brown to black spots that may appear on leaves and petals. You can only prevent Botrytis blight disease by planting in areas with good air circulation. Water plants sparsely. Infected plants should be removed. Spray weekly with a copper fungicide until the disease is under control.

These symptoms indicate a fungal disease - Pythium Root Rot. Do not overwater plants. Remove affected plants and their roots, and discard surrounding soil. Plant only in the pasteurized soil. Hold back on fertilizing too. Keep hose ends off the ground. Apply a copper-based fungicide to protect plants.

Bacterial disease Crown gall causes wartlike swellings on Monkey flowers. Plants can become stunted, subject to drought stress and wind damage. Large enough galls may cause girdling which results in plant death. Avoid injury to the plant. If the plant is only slightly infected, prune off diseased growth. Destroy severely infected plants and avoid replanting tayberries or any other susceptible plant species in the same spot.

Gall midges are insects whose orange larvae tunnel into young shoots. One-inch-long swellings form around the developing larvae on the twig. Leaves on the branch may wilt or turn brown. Prune off and destroy galls as soon as you see them.

White, cottony clusters on leaves and stems are caused by mealybugs. These tiny insects are covered with a fluffy white coating. They feed by sucking plants sap. They produce the sticky substance honeydew which makes leaves sticky. You can control them by washing them off the plant with water spray. Insecticidal soap should be used with severe infestations.

These symptoms indicate thrips. Thrips are tiny, yellow to black flying insects. They hide under the leaves. Severely infected plant parts should be removed and destroyed. Control thrips by introducing lady beetles or lacewings, their natural predators. Insecticidal soap helps in severe infestations.

Mineral deficiencies can cause tip chlorosis or necrosis or cause foliage to discolor, fade, distort, or become spotted, sometimes in a characteristic pattern that can be recognized to identify the cause. When nutrient deficiencies occur, nitrogen and iron are the most commonly seen deficiencies. Apply only the mineral found to be deficient. Excess nutrients, on the other hand, cause symptoms like leaf tip dieback, marginal leaf chlorosis, necrosis (or burn), branch dieback, and pest problems. In this case, you should provide good drainage, and use good practices during fertilization and irrigation.