Watch for virus infected canna
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EmailEditor’s note: This article is from the archives of the MSU Crop Advisory Team Alerts. Check the label of any pesticide referenced to ensure your use is included.
This has been a great spring for bedding plants and woody trees and shrubs. The variety of plant material in nurseries and garden centers is impressive. Equally impressive is the health of this year’s crop. I have seen very little of the usual suspects (impatiens necrotic spot virus, hosta virus x and root rots). However, I have spotted canna infected with canna yellow mottle virus, especially in the Tropicanna series. Look for abnormal, brown streaks in infected leaves.
Infected plants often grow slower than healthy plants. I would not expect infected plants to perform very well in the landscape. In some big box stores, infection rates were 50 percent. Remember, if it doesn’t look quite right, there’s usually a reason; don’t buy diseased plants.
