Our Flower Gardens #11: Unknown Flower

Not a clue what it might be, but it sure is different!

-- the day you quit learning is the day you quit living.

Me neither, no idea … but it is very unusual for sure!!

-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b

it reminds me of a poinsettia where the leaves become the flower by changing colours

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

well it looks like a very sick Bee balm

The plant is sick. it has mildew on th leaves whch means the plants are not getting enough air flow

In this humid weather I am not surprised but you will need to remove plants to give it room for better air flow

Make a mixture of baking soda 1tsp in a gal of warm and spray it well not forgetting the soil arounf it and under the leaves

Pick up all leaves off the ground and plant and burn them

It is a fungus and will spread from plant to plant even from infected soil so DO NOT put the leaves or plants in the compost

Composting will not kill the fungus

-- NS Zone 5B 200 KM East of Halifax cheers Bunting------Having a place to go – is a home. Having someone to love – is a family.

well, well.. aren’t I glad that I posted these pictures?? !!!
Thanks Bunting.

Bee balm… nice to have it identified.
Fungus: didn’t even notice it!

Baking soda it is. Thanks

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Looking at this plant closer

do those black things in th flower move??

To be safe pick all the flower tops off and distroy them

You sure do have an infection of a gnat of some kind plus the mildew

The plant will survive for next year but best to kill all this off this year so you will save the plants

-- NS Zone 5B 200 KM East of Halifax cheers Bunting------Having a place to go – is a home. Having someone to love – is a family.

Debbie

The funus mildew on the leaves is the first thing I noiticed now I see the little black bugs. They borrow in the flower head and stem and nest making more

That alone will evenually kill the plants. Mildew won’t kill the plant even tho the leaves will turn brown and die off

-- NS Zone 5B 200 KM East of Halifax cheers Bunting------Having a place to go – is a home. Having someone to love – is a family.

Thanks for that tip, Bunting. I didn’t even notice anything wrong with it.

-- the day you quit learning is the day you quit living.

“fortunately” I have been saying that I want to remove this from the edge of gazebo anyway.. it’s been taking up too much “visual” space.
I’ve sprayed it with the soda but now I’m going to cut it all down, burn it, and then dig out the roots. I can always start a new bee balm plant somewhere else if I want to.

Thanks again for all these tips!

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Yep, I agree with Bunting…that’s some sick bee balm.

I know because I’ve got some sick bee balm too! LOL…

-- Living on the square...Metro Detroit

it’s history… smokin’ in the burn barrel as we speak

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

purple bee balm

-- Central northish Ontario